


Draco and Hermione

by Lazaraz



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Angst, Bittersweet, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, Drama & Romance, Duelling, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin Rivalry, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hogwarts Era, Horcrux Hunting, Horcruxes, Inter-House Rivalries, Long, Rivalry, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, Teen Angst, Teenage Drama, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-29
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-20 15:16:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 46
Words: 165,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9497960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lazaraz/pseuds/Lazaraz
Summary: After Hermione is captured and taken to Malfoy Manor, she escapes with Draco. They must work together to end the war, return to Hogwarts as eighth years, unite the four Houses and become Professors - while slowly falling in love in the process. Draco/Hermione and Pansy/Harry pairings. Originally posted on fanfiction.net, so please forgive the lack of formatting. :)





	1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K Rowling.

**Watch the YouTube trailer! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOWtX4defHY**

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**Prologue**

Narcissa looked up at him, her face eloquent with despair.

"Yes, Severus. I — I think you are the only one who can help me, I have nowhere else to turn. Lucius is in jail and…"

She closed her eyes and two large tears seeped from beneath her eyelids.

"The Dark Lord has forbidden me to speak of it," Narcissa continued, her eyes still closed.

"He wishes none to know of the plan. It is… very secret. But —"

"If he has forbidden it, you ought not to speak," said Snape at once. "The Dark Lord's word is law."

"Severus," she whispered, tears sliding down her pale cheeks. "My son… my only son…"

"But what help do you require, Narcissa? If you are imagining I can persuade the Dark Lord to change his mind, I am afraid there is no hope, none at all."

Narcissa began to cry in earnest, gazing beseechingly all the while at Snape.

"The Dark Lord will not be persuaded, and I am not stupid enough to attempt it," said Snape flatly. "I cannot pretend that the Dark Lord is not angry with Lucius. Lucius was supposed to be in charge. He got himself captured, along with how many others, and failed to retrieve the prophecy into the bargain. Yes, the Dark Lord is angry, Narcissa, very angry indeed."

"Then I am right, he has chosen Draco in revenge!" choked Narcissa. "He does not mean him to succeed, he wants him to be killed trying!"

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"I haven't got any options!" said Malfoy, and he was suddenly as white as Dumbledore. "I've got to do it! He'll kill me! He'll kill my whole family!"

"I can help you, Draco."

"No, you can't," said Malfoy, his wand hand shaking very badly indeed. "Nobody can. He told me to do it or he'll kill me. I've got no choice."

"Come over to the right side, Draco... you are not a killer..."

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"Well, Draco?" said Lucius Malfoy. He sounded avid. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"

"I can't – I can't be sure," said Draco.

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!"

"There's something there," Lucius whispered, "it could be the scar, stretched tight... Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?"

Harry saw Draco's face up close now, right beside his father's. They were extraordinarily alike, except while his father looked beside himself with excitement, Draco's expression was full of reluctance, even fear.

"I don't know," he said, and he walked away towards the fireplace where his mother stood watching.

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"No," agreed Dumbledore. "You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon…"

He walked away, leaving Snape looking stricken…

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"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

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**Chapter 1**

"Come on Hermione, why are you so determined not to admit it? Vol-"

"HARRY, NO!"

"-demort's after the Elder Wand!"

"The name's Tabooed!" Hermione yelled, leaping to her feet as a loud crack! sounded outside the tent. "I told you, Harry, I told you, we can't say the name anymore, we've got to put the protection charms back up! Quickly! It's how they find..."

But she stopped talking and Harry knew why. The Sneakoscope on the table had lit up and begun to spin, they could hear voices coming nearer and nearer: rough, excited voices. Ron eyes were wide as he pulled the Deluminator out of his pocket and clicked it, causing all of their lamps to go out. Darkness engulfed them. It was a cold dawn and the sun hadn't yet risen.

"Come out of there with your hands up!" came a rasping voice through the darkness. "We know you're in there! You've got half a dozen wands pointing at you and we don't care who we curse!"

Harry looked round at the other two, now mere outlines in the darkness. He saw Hermione point her wand, not towards outside, but towards him and Ron; she murmured a very quiet 'Petrificus Totalus'. Suddenly his body went rigid and he fell backwards, hitting the ground silently. He felt Ron land right beside him, just as silently as he did. He attempted to move, to scream, to call out to Hermione, but he couldn't move a muscle. A second later and a cloak was thrown over them both, and he realised that it was the Invisibility cloak.

He could tell that Ron was frantic beside him also, but they were powerless. Harry remembered the last time this had happened to him. Dumbledore had used the full body binding curse on him, with the Invisibility cloak to hide him from the Death Eaters, on the Astronomy tower before Dumbledore died. Hermione just did the same thing, she did it to hide her two best friends... was she going to die? Hermione cast another spell on herself, which made her hair turn blonde and her eyes a bright blue colour, obviously an attempt to disguise herself. Harry almost wanted to cry as he watched Hermione from his invisible hiding place. She looked in their direction, her eyes conveying her thoughts, 'Sorry, but you have to live and defeat Voldemort. This is the only way.'

Before he could even blink, her wand shot out of her hand and she was pulled out of the tent by rough hands.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" said the same rasping voice from outside. Harry's stomach turned over. It was Fenrir Greyback.

"Who were you talking to, girl? Are there others inside the tent?" Greyback demanded suspiciously, looking inside wearily and expecting there to be others.

"N-no, I'm travelling alone-"

"Check the tent!" Greyback growled, not trusting a word of what Hermione said. Harry squirmed as he waited to be found. A man walked into the tent and began searching all over the place, but he didn't see Harry or Ron lying on the ground in plain sight, underneath the Invisibility cloak. In a strange way, Harry wished the man would just find them, so that they could be with Hermione. But after a few moments, the man in the tent shouted, "All clear!"

"So, travelling in the woods all alone are we girly?" Greyback rasped quietly, as if he was whispering it in her ear. Harry was sick to the stomach and desperately wanted to move.

"Careful Greyback. We should be careful with who we're attacking," a man named Scabior warned.

"I won't bite just yet. Let's hear her name first," the werewolf rasped. There was a pause before Hermione replied.

"Penelope Clearwater," she said the first name that came to mind and sounded rather terrified. Penelope Clearwater was a blonde haired Ravenclaw girl. It fitted, since Hermione had changed her hair colour to blonde. But attempting to lie her way out of trouble seemed like an impossible feat at that moment.

"Blood Status?"

"Half-blood," Hermione said shakily.

"Keep checking the tent! Search everything!" Greyback roared, and the man hurried back into the tent again, searching every inch of it for something valuable. Harry heard the sounds of parchment being rolled over and realised they were searching for Hermione's stolen name.

"So, thought you'd just go camping alone and use the Dark Lord's name just to see what would happen, eh?" Greyback mocked, getting sniggers from the snatchers.

"N-no, it was an... accident," said Hermione cautiously. She was answered with jeering laughter, which stopped as Scabior began speaking again.

"Searched for your name missy, and it seems Penelope Clearwater is in her last year of Hogwarts as we speak. So who the hell are you?" he shouted. Harry's heart thumped harder and harder and Hermione began to panic, what on earth was she going to say? The snatchers were waiting impatiently, but she couldn't think of an answer.

"You better tell us the truth, cause if you don't... well, I won't be able to resist your delicious, soft skin much longer," said Greyback, an obvious hunger in his voice. Suddenly they heard a shout from the tent, and the man who was searching ran out carrying Gryffindor's sword, and the Daily Prophet. Hermione saw them and felt her heart drop an inch or two. She was in trouble now, massive trouble. She knew her face was on the front page of the Daily Prophet, and Gryffindor's sword was no ordinary thing to carry around camping.

"Hey! Look what I've found!" said the man happily, showing them the sword and reading the prophet.

"Very nice indeed, that sword looks goblin made. Where did you find that, girl?" demanded Greyback, there was a pause again as Hermione tried to think of something.

"Um, just in the forest," she answered, which was actually the truth considering Harry got it from the frozen lake in the Forest of Dean.

"Just in the forest? You're a lying little brat," Greyback spat, his temper flaring slightly.

"Greyback, also look what I saw in the Prophet," said the snatcher. There was a pause as all the snatchers read the paper silently, and looked at the picture. Scabior began to read it out loud so that Hermione could hear.

"Hermione Granger," Scabior read, "the Mudblood who is known to be travelling with Harry Potter." There was a heavy, intense pause. It lasted only a moment, and then Harry heard the crunching of leaves as someone moved closer to Hermione.

"You know what girl? This picture looks a hell of a lot like you."

"It isn't! It isn't me!" Hermione squeaked, but it was useless. None of them were going to believe a word she said.

"... known to be travelling with Harry Potter," muttered Greyback quietly. There was another silent, heavy pause as everyone was deep in thought. Harry felt so sorry for Hermione, and he wished he was able to be there. She was getting into a worse and worse situation with each passing second.

"Well, this changes things, doesn't it?" whispered Greyback. "Where is Potter?"

The question hung in the air, the question the entire wizarding world had been wondering. The only question Voldemort needed answering to, and it would all be over. Hermione knew that no matter what happened, she couldn't tell them where Harry was. She had to do anything possible to make sure he escaped and survived. If she became a prisoner of war like others such as Ollivander the Wandmaker, the only way she would be released was if Voldemort was defeated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione lied quickly, perhaps a little too quickly.

Smack! Hermione gasped in pain from the harsh slap.

"I'm warning you, if you don't answer truthfully now you'll suffer much worse where we take you," said Greyback threateningly.

"The Prophet is w-wrong! It's j-just a rumour, I don't know where he is!" said Hermione, her voice shaking in fear.

"So be it. Tie her up. We might have a well-known mudblood, best friend of Potter, and possibly information on his where-abouts, this should pay well," said Greyback greedily as Harry listened to Hermione being tied up.

"Where should we take her? To the Ministry?" asked Scabior curiously.

"To hell with the Ministry! They'll take the credit, and if she knows where Potter is we might get paid a little extra. I say we take her straight to You-Know-Who," said Greyback, an excited snarl in his voice.

"I'm in. They say he's using the Malfoys' place as a base. We can take her there," said Scabior, the other snatchers muttering their eager agreements.

"Good. Take everything of value from the tent and leave it there, it's of no use to us. Let's move, I'll take the mudblood," said Greyback hungrily. Moments later when the tent was searched a final time, Harry and Ron heard a bunch of crack!'s and then silence, as they were left alone. But they still couldn't move: it seemed Hermione wanted to make sure they didn't try to rescue her.

Harry was left shocked. Hermione had just given up her life, literally, to save him and Ron. She was going to be tortured at Malfoy Manor, tortured and killed. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but deep down he knew it was true. And so did Hermione, when she insisted that she had no idea where he was.

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Hermione was dragged, and then finally thrown onto the floor in Malfoy Manor. The room was large and dark, and she guessed that it was the drawing room. The snatchers, Greyback, Lucius, Narcissa and Draco Malfoy were all present. Although, once Draco recognised the body on the floor, he desperately didn't want to be there at all. No matter how much you disliked someone, how could you willingly hand over an old classmate who you knew was innocent? Draco found himself staying beside his mother at the fireplace, having no desire to get involved with Hermione Granger's fate.

"We found her in a forest, camping alone," rasped Greyback to Lucius Malfoy.

"And you're sure it's the mudblood Granger? How can you be sure?" Lucius demanded. Hermione's hair was still blonde and her eyes a bright, sparkling blue. These two changes were enough to make her look remarkably different. Although, having known her for six years, Draco easily saw through the disguise.

"Well she looks similar to the picture in the Prophet," Greyback growled in annoyance.

"The picture in the Prophet is in black and white, you fool!" Lucius shouted, snatching the paper from Greyback's hands. He stared at the picture, then looked down at the terrified girl in front of him. Lucius' hair was a long, dirty and shabby, his eyes were sunken with black underbags, he looked as though he hadn't shaved in weeks. He also had no wand that Hermione could see. He looked desperate. When he couldn't be sure about who she was, he shook his head in frustration.

"Draco! Come here, is this the Granger girl? Is it the mudblood?" Lucius whispered, pulling Draco closer. Hermione tried not to make eye contact, her blue eyes filling with tears as she attempted to look away. Her heart was not beating, but smashing against her chest. Draco would definitely know it was her if he got a close enough look. And she knew he would not hesitate to have her dead. Lucius grabbed her chin and pulled her face towards him and Draco. Before she could look away, her eyes connected with Draco's: sparkling blue of tears, steel grey of reluctance.

"I can't be sure. She never had blonde hair," Draco muttered, standing up and looking away.

"But that can easily be a disguise! If we are the ones to hand over one of Potter's closest friends the Dark Lord will forgive us! All will be the way it was. We have to be certain that it's her!" Lucius hissed, stamping his foot in urgency. Draco sighed, looking down on the pathetic body in front of him again. He pretended to look closer for a few moments, but shook his head.

"I don't know. I can't be certain," was his final answer, and with that Draco walked over to where his mother stood at the fireplace. Hermione was beyond relief at that moment. Had he simply not recognised her? It was unlikely, when they made eye contact she had a feeling he knew who she was. But he seemed so reluctant, staying near the fireplace with his mother. Hermione was also puzzled by what Lucius meant about them being forgiven, and his sense of fear and desperation, was the Malfoy family being punished? A moment later Bellatrix walked in, seeing the body on the ground.

"What is this?" she hissed, moving closer. Greyback repeated where he found her, and who he thought she was. Bellatrix rounded on Draco, demanding him to figure it out. Draco had a pained expression on his face as he had no desire to be on Bellatrix's bad side. He was determined to not get involved with anything however, which was fairly common for him nowadays. Ever since being ordered to kill Dumbledore, he was reluctant to participate in Death Eater activities. He was afraid of Voldemort, desperately afraid, just like his mother and father.

"She looks different than the mudblood I remember. I can't be certain," said Draco again, shrugging carelessly. If he was pretending not to recognise her, he was doing an excellent job, Hermione thought.

"Well, we have to be certain. Who are you?" whispered Bellatrix, who was crouching next to Hermione's body. Hermione had no idea what to say. Should she lie again and hope for the best? Or tell the truth? If she told the truth, they'd just torture her into giving information on Harry. She couldn't think of an answer, and they were all waiting.

"If you don't tell me your name, I'll force it out of you..." said Bellatrix in a deadly voice.

"Penelope Clearwater!" Hermione lied quickly.

"You're lying, Penelope Clearwater is at Hogwarts!" the snatcher Scabior growled. Bellatrix glared at her, and slowly began to draw a silver knife out of her pocket. Its blade gleamed and Hermione had a feeling that it was cursed with some sort of evil magic. Panic began to set in, gripping Hermione by the heart. Bellatrix looked more psychotic than ever, and everyone in the room knew that she wasn't settling for anything but the truth.

"N-no!" said Hermione desperately, staring wide-eyed at the knife.

"Tell me your name! NOW!" said Bellatrix, moving it closer to the prisoner.

"I left Hogwarts! My name is Penelope Clearwater," Hermione insisted.

"You're a filthy little liar!" Bellatrix screamed, slashing the knife across Hermione's cheek and leaving a long cut. Draco looked away from them, feeling slightly sick. He was witnessing blatant torture, something much more sinister and grotesque than mere schoolyard bullying. Sure, he'd bullied her at Hogwarts, but he never actually attacked her and never would have. Seeing her, or anyone else for that matter, at the mercy of Bellatrix, was sickening.

"P-please stop!" Hermione begged, holding her cheek in pain and trying to move away.

"What else did you find with her?" said Bellatrix, standing up and glaring towards the snatchers. They all looked reluctant to show what they'd found, each of them hoping to sell something and get some personal profit. But Bellatrix cared nothing for gold, she only cared about becoming closer to Voldemort, becoming the favourite Death Eater. She looked carelessly at the food and small objects like a Sneakoscope and books, but then stopped suddenly. She'd seen Gryffindor's sword, and it clearly meant something of importance to her.

"Give me that sword," she hissed, pointing to it.

"I found it miss, I reckon it's mine," the man replied reluctantly, but he barely finished the sentence before Bellatrix had drawn her wand and blown him out of the way.

"Are you mad, woman?" shouted Scabior, drawing his wand.

"Stupefy! Stupefy!" shrieked Bellatrix, stunning all of the snatchers before any of them had a chance. No one else challenged her, and it seemed that no one else wanted to either. It was clear that Voldemort had trained her in dueling, and it made Hermione even more terrified. Lucius still appeared to not have a wand, and he wearily stood back. Draco and his mother Narcissa made no move to draw wands, and they stayed near the fireplace. Bellatrix left Greyback standing as she picked up the sword and turned to him.

"Where did you get this sword?" she whispered, her tone low and serious. Greyback glared at her in anger for a few moments, before answering.

"It was in the girl's tent. Release my men!" demanded Greyback, but Bellatrix ignored him and turned on Hermione once more, a new hatred in her eyes. Hermione began to desperately crawl away from the Death Eater. She wished she could just vanish, or apparate away from the nightmare she was in at that moment.

"I'm going to make you scream, you little liar!" Bellatrix shrieked in fury as she walked towards Hermione, who began to sob uncontrollably.

"Where did you get the sword? What is your name? TELL ME!" screamed Bellatrix, cutting Hermione on the cheek again and bringing out another scream. Draco watched with a horrified expression and winced at the scream. He wished she would just tell the truth and get it over with.

"I found it! In the forest!" sobbed Hermione.

"That sword was placed in my Gringott's vault by Severus Snape! You stole it from me!" accused Bellatrix, an inch from Hermione's terrified face.

"N-no! I swear, I j-just found it!" Hermione continued, being completely honest. Harry had found it, they didn't steal anything, and she didn't know what else to say.

"Tell the truth! CRUCIO!" hissed Bellatrix. The screams echoed and filled the entire house, causing Draco to look away and close his eyes. But Bellatrix just smiled maliciously. Draco wished the mudblood would just tell the truth, because he knew that Bellatrix wasn't going to stop until she had what she wanted. When Bellatrix finally lifted the torture spell after what felt like ages, Hermione was gasping and shaking in pain as they waited for an answer.

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know, or shall I continue for a few more minutes?" asked Bellatrix in a whisper. The entire room was silent, the only sound being Hermione's sobs. Nobody dared to move or speak against Bellatrix.

"So be it. CRUCIO-!"

"It is her! It is the mudblood!" Draco burst out impulsively. His face was a shade paler than usual, and he looked like he was going to be sick. If he could leave the room, he would have done exactly that, but it was the duty of a Death Eater to stay. And if he had to be there, he didn't want to watch sickening torture. And if Hermione wasn't going to tell the truth, he had to do it for her.

"You're certain?" she demanded. Draco nodded, avoiding eye contact with Bellatrix while he responded. "I can tell by her face. She's just changed her hair and eye colour."

"Good! So we have the mudblood, who was travelling with Potter," said Bellatrix, more to herself than anyone else. Hermione's eyes were filled with tears of pain as her body still ached from the Cruciatus curse. She looked up at Draco, feeling both relief that he had stopped Bellatrix, but also remorse because her identity was known. She was once again wondering about his actions, it was rather strange. She expected him to be smirking, calling her a mudblood, telling Bellatrix to torture her some more. But she suddenly realised that Draco Malfoy really wasn't as evil as they'd always thought him to be. She glanced at his mother and father, realising that the entire Malfoy family must be suffering.

"And her tent was big, easily big enough for three people," rasped Greyback in excitement. Bellatrix nodded eagerly.

"Well, mudblood. You are going to tell us where you found this sword, and you're going to tell us where Potter and your other blood traitor friend Weasley are," said Bellatrix, her wand at the ready.

"I-I don't know where they a-are, they c-could be anywhere!" said Hermione frantically, looking back at Bellatrix in fear.

"Liar! Crucio!" hissed Bellatrix, causing screams to erupt into the room once more. The torture went on and on, a constant stop and start of the Cruciatus curse. After at least twenty minutes, Hermione could no longer take it. Draco was relieved when she began to tell the truth. He'd almost forgotten that he was supposed to hate her. But it was impossible to hate someone so unfortunate. Tears and blood stained her face as she sobbed and began talking.

"I cast a s-spell on H-harry and Ron to make them in-invisible before they caught me!" said Hermione as her tears spilled onto the floor. Bellatrix seemed to be completely emotionless, and payed no attention to the crying.

"So they're still at the forest? You did that so they couldn't move?" panted Bellatrix, who appeared to be rather tired from the torturing. Hermione nodded, still sobbing and unable to talk.

"Greyback! Go to the forest, find Potter and Weasley!" Bellatrix ordered in excitement.

"You can't tell me what to do!" growled Greyback. He seemed incredibly stubborn and angry; he'd caught Hermione and it seemed as though he wasn't going to be paid for it at all. The other snatchers were all unconscious, and Bellatrix was taking all the glory. That's all that mattered to snatchers and Death Eaters: gold and serving Voldemort. There was no such thing as friends and socializing. Life was miserable for Draco, being the youngest Death Eater. The other Slytherin's were at Hogwarts while he was at the Manor, being ordered around by Voldemort, being forced to do things he considered inhuman.

"If you catch them you will get all the gold you can imagine, GO!" shrieked Bellatrix, and with that Greyback apparated with a greedy smile.

"And the sword? Tell me about the sword!" Bellatrix demanded, crouching down and pointing the silver knife at Hermione's throat.

"Harry found it! He got it f-from a lake! W-we didn't steal it, s-someone else did!" Hermione sobbed, desperately telling the truth once more. But she knew Bellatrix wouldn't believe it, it seemed unbelievable even as she said it. The knife pressed against her cheek again, slicing into the skin painfully.

"You're lying!" hissed Bellatrix furiously.

"I'm n-not, PLEASE!" Hermione screamed, struggling and trying to desperately pull herself away from Bellatrix. There was a crack! as Greyback re-appeared into the room again.

"They took the tent and escaped. I was seconds late," rasped Greyback angrily.

"You'll never catch them," Hermione sobbed from the floor. Despite what she'd been through, she still had a spark of defiance in her tone.

"CRUCIO!"

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	2. Chapter 2

"Draco, drag this filth down to the cellar. She'll be a useful prisoner and the Dark Lord will want to see her," said Bellatrix, kicking Hermione in the stomach before swiftly leaving the room. Hermione didn't move, she just laid on the ground, muscles aching all over and constant tears running down her face which mixed with the blood on her cheek. Draco grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the room, causing her to gasp and tug away in pain.

"Lie still!" said Draco in frustration. Hermione sighed and did as she was told, allowing him to gently drag her along the ground. It felt humiliating, but she supposed that was the whole point. To them, she was a mudblood inside a house of superior Death Eater's and purebloods. Once they turned a corner and were out of sight, Draco let go of her arms and pulled out his wand. Hermione crawled into a sitting position, because her legs were too weak to walk on. Then she saw the wand and her eyes widened in fear.

"D-don't, I-" Hermione sobbed, as she tried to back away.

"Be quiet," Draco hissed, his eyes threatening her. Hermione bit her lip and shut her eyes, waiting for the curse or hex that was surely coming. "Wingardium Leviosa..."

She opened her eyes in surprise as she began to float into mid-air, realising that he was going to levitate her to the cellar.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered.

"I just don't want to touch your mudblood skin, that's all," Draco replied coldly. Hermione glared at him but there was no sympathy in his gaze. She expected some sort of proper reply, after how reluctant he acted when he was told to identify her. But of course, after thanking him, all she got in return was a snide insult and the word 'mudblood'. It was typical of Malfoy, but she was still glad that he wasn't dragging her like an animal. They began descending the stone stairs towards the door. Instead of a wooden cellar door, there was a steel-barred gate, more suited for a medieval prison than a cellar. Draco let her drop roughly to the ground as he unlocked the door and pushed it open. Hermione swore in pain.

"That's the cellar, go in," said Draco, pointing into the dark, stone walled room. Hermione held her hip where she'd hit the step in pain, purposefully taking her time. Draco tapped his foot on the ground impatiently, waiting for her to move. But she wasn't finished yet. They'd known each other for seven years and even if they were enemies, she wanted a proper explanation from him.

"For what it's worth, I want to thank you for pretending to not know who I was earlier," Hermione said without looking at him.

"Your thanks is worth nothing, get in the damn cellar," Draco growled.

"When Bellatrix started torturing me, you told her who I was to make her stop. Why?" Hermione demanded, looking him in the eyes this time. He hesitated for a second, caught off guard by the odd question.

"Because your screaming was hurting my ears, that's why. Enough questions, get in the cellar or I'll push you in," said Draco, with a hint of finality.

"Fine," said Hermione in disappointment. She slid down the last two steps and watched as the steel-barred door slammed shut. But she quickly grabbed the bars and pulled herself up.

"Wait! Are they going to kill me?" she whispered. It was such an innocent question, Draco couldn't bring himself to ignore her. He turned around slowly, looking at her desperate expression.

"Yes," he admitted.

"When? What more are they going to do to me?" Hermione asked, leaning against the bars slightly. Her entire body was still aching from the Cruciatus curse. Despite who she was and how much he hated her, Draco still felt like talking. For the past couple of months he'd been stuck in Malfoy Manor obeying Voldemort's every command, in fear of punishment if he failed. Any more failures on the Malfoy name would result in death. Lucius had already had his wand taken from him when Voldemort needed another one, though everyone knew it was a punishment. Likewise for the past couple of months Hermione, Harry and Ron had been on the run, talking to absolutely no one else but each other. The war was destroying both of their lives. But Draco had orders, and he had to carry them out.

"I don't know and I don't care. You'll be fed twice a day, if you need to go to the toilet call out and I or someone else will come and get you. I'm usually on prisoner duty, so you'll most likely deal with me," he said all of this quickly, and then abruptly left. Hermione slid to the ground next to the door, staring through the bars towards the light. She felt slightly claustrophobic as the pitch black cellar closed in around her. Tears began to fall again as she started sobbing, realising that she really was going to die a horrible death in this place.

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"We've got to go back for her!" shouted Ron, pulling out his wand and preparing to apparate.

"No Ron! We'll just get caught and everything we've done will be for nothing!" said Harry, grabbing his arm.

"So what, you're just going to let her die? You don't even care?" said Ron in outrage.

"You know that's not true. She hid us both for a reason, one person captured is better than three people captured. We can't just apparate in, hexing everything that moves, we need a plan!" said Harry. It took a while for Ron to calm down and agree, but he was still agitated and on edge. Harry knew that Ron had feelings for her, but they had no choice but to put their feelings aside and act logically.

"In the meantime, let's get the tent and get out of here. They might come looking for us," Harry muttered as he drew his wand and began packing everything hurriedly.

"Where are we going to go next?" Ron asked.

"I dunno. But we've got to think of a plan to rescue Hermione," said Harry, as they both kept packing. They noticed that most of the food had been taken, along with other small items here and there. They couldn't continue on their own without Hermione and without food.

"Perhaps we should go to The Burrow. You can be disguised and we can repack," Ron suggested, "and let the Order know what's happened as well."

Harry nodded in agreement as they finished magically packing everything into a small enchanted bag. They heard a crack sound nearby, but before Greyback could do anything, they had already apparated away.

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"Hermione? Is that you?" came a voice from the darkness of the cellar. Hermione sniffed and turned around in surprise, recognising the voice.

"Luna? Thank god I'm not alone," Hermione whispered as Luna Lovegood moved closer to her.

"I heard your screaming from upstairs, is your face okay? You have three cuts on your cheek," said Luna calmly. Her blonde hair and clothes looked as though they hadn't been cleaned in weeks, and she looked very thin, but otherwise she was completely fine. The Death Eaters wouldn't have had any reason to hurt her. Luna was completely harmless, after all.

"It stings, but I'm fine. Who else is in here?" Hermione asked as her eyes began to adjust to the darkness. She could see three other figures in the cellar, and was curious to find out who the other prisoners were.

"You, me, Mr Ollivander, Dean and Griphook," Luna answered, pointing to each person. There were introductions as Hermione said hello and got a look at each person, or goblin, in Griphook's case.

"Miss Granger, you'd better fix your cheek, you're still bleeding," Mr Ollivander pointed out in his old, weak voice. He looked and sounded drained of all strength from being in the cellar for so long. Hermione touched the cuts and felt warm blood on her hands, causing her to shiver slightly. Using her shirt, she began wiping the blood and tears away. But the blood slowly kept coming, no matter how much she wiped it away. Luna noticed this and raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"The silver knife was cursed!" said Hermione, "the cuts won't stop bleeding!"

"Perhaps find something to hold against your cheek? There's nothing down here though..." said Luna sadly. Hermione began to panic and quickly ripped the bottom of her shirt off and held the cloth against her cheek. If the cuts really were cursed she would die however, no matter how much clothing she used. A few hours passed and Hermione talked with the other four prisoners quietly, getting to know them better, as she gradually tore up more and more of her shirt to staunch the bleeding of her cheek. It got to the point where her shirt looked more like a crop top, and the bottom half of it had been used like bandages. Not knowing what else to do, she shook the bars of the door and called out for someone to come down. It felt like ages, but finally Draco appeared at the top of the stairs, walking down them one by one very slowly.

"Hurry up!" said Hermione urgently.

"Busting to go to the toilet?" Draco asked sarcastically as he approached the door.

"No. The cuts on my cheek won't stop bleeding, Bellatrix's knife was cursed," said Hermione worriedly. Draco smirked at her exposed stomach, raising an eyebrow.

"I never knew crop tops were your style mudblood, it looks good on you," he sneered in amusement. He seemed to be in a better mood than he had been earlier that day, when she was being tortured.

"Oh shut up! I've been using bits of the shirt to stop the bleeding," Hermione said, showing him the bundle of blood-soaked cloth. Draco wrinkled his nose with distaste at the sight, and shrugged. "So?"

"So? So heal me!" Hermione hissed.

"I'm not healing you, who do you think I am? Madam Pomfrey?" Draco snarled, crossing his arms.

"It doesn't matter who you are! If it doesn't get healed I'll die!" Hermione urged.

"I'm sure it's just temporary, Bellatrix isn't stupid enough to let you die before You-Know-Who sees you," Draco said carelessly.

"And if it isn't temporary? Just heal me, it'll take you two seconds!" she begged. He looked as if he was considering it, and he put his hand in his pocket.

"Oh, it seems that I've lost my wand. I'll be back when I find it," said Draco with a wink as he turned around. Hermione shook the bars again, wanting to scream. She knew she couldn't scream though, because that would bring Bellatrix down. After what happened earlier in the day, she was terribly scared of the woman upstairs. Likewise Draco wasn't told whether healing a mudblood prisoner was allowed, and he guessed that it wasn't. Better to stay uninvolved again, because angering Voldemort would be the death of him.

"You're just going to let me die! Why?" Hermione asked in confusion, feeling powerless as he reached the top of the stairs and walked away. She sat down beside the door sadly, not knowing what else to do.

"Maybe someone else will come down if we call later?" Luna suggested.

"I'm not sure how long I'll last though. I hate Malfoy! I can't believe how disgusting and cruel he is!" Hermione whispered. The bundle of ripped up shirt was soaked through and her hands were beginning to get covered with blood. She was helpless, and all she could do was wait.

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Upstairs, Draco was bored out of his mind doing nothing, as usual. Being the youngest Death Eater, he didn't have much to do and Voldemort rarely called upon a Malfoy to have a job done. The only people he could talk to were his parents, Bellatrix, occasionally Snape and a few other Death Eaters that dropped in and out of the Manor. Other than that he was alone and rather miserable, while Crabbe and Goyle were at Hogwarts having the time of their lives. Since the Carrow's were now dictating everything at the school, all of Slytherin would be having the time of their lives. He imagined what it would be like if Voldemort never existed: he would be at Hogwarts, enjoying life as the rich and talented seventh year pureblood. Life certainly wasn't going the way he'd wanted it to go. Things were going downhill because of the war, and he'd began learning Occlumency, due to his mother and Snape's urging. They both believed it would be a useful tool to have. He was curious as to why his mother knew Occlumency and why she wanted him to learn it, but he had a feeling that it had something to do with Voldemort.

Narcissa didn't like Voldemort, he knew that. Ever since Voldemort gave Draco the mission to kill Dumbledore, his mother had been depressed. Draco couldn't understand why, he thought it was a privilege at the time to have such an important job. But when he entered his sixth year of Hogwarts, he realised the sudden extreme pressure that he was under. If he failed to kill Dumbledore, it was very clear that he was going to die. Snape was always trying to help him, because Narcissa had begged to have Draco protected. The memories of the previous year still haunted him, and even to that day he wondered whether what he did was right. Fixing the Vanishing Cabinets was a genius idea, Dumbledore himself said that. But all of that work was put to waste, as Draco realised how horrific murder really was. Narcissa not only wanted Draco to be protected from harm, she also didn't want him turning into someone like Bellatrix. The Malfoy's were by no means psychotic killers, on the contrary, not even Lucius had committed murder.

This was Draco's life currently, everything around him was dark and uncertain. And what was the girl locked downstairs in the cellar? 'Just a mudblood,' Draco thought to himself. But also a Gryffindor, who are known to be good people. And realistically, just an innocent victim who didn't deserve anything that was happening to her. He sighed. Despite being a Death Eater, he'd grown up with loving parents and he wasn't heartless. He did know the difference between right and wrong. What was happening around him was very wrong. His mother knew that, although it was Lucius who made all the decisions for them. No one really paid attention to Narcissa Malfoy, and no one really understood her because of her Occlumency. None of the Death Eaters messed with her either, since she was Bellatrix's sister.

Was that the only reason the Malfoy's had become Death Eaters? Narcissa's sister was Bellatrix Lestrange. Their family was obsessed with the pureblood tradition, and Lucius believed that no one could stop Voldemort once he gained power. It was more a matter of joining the stronger side when times were rough. And Lucius seemed to have picked the right side: Dumbledore was dead and there was hardly any resistance to Voldemort. Voldemort was winning, the Death Eaters were the stronger side. But the Malfoy's were suffering, however, just like the Weasley's were. Narcissa and Lucius had always loved their only son, and they'd made it clear that their family was more important than serving Voldemort. But it was too late to change sides; it was too late for Lucius to change his decision. The reality was that both sides of the war were suffering because of one mans desire for power. Both sides of the war were suffering for one mans greed.

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The minutes dragged on into hours, but Hermione was happy that there were others in the cellar with her. She got to know Ollivander much better, and he told her what to expect from Voldemort: Legilimency.

"If you're a poor Occlumens, he will easily read through your memories... you will not be able to keep any secrets from him," said Ollivander. Hermione wondered what Voldemort would do if he found out that they were destroying his horcruxes. The thought frightened her as she looked towards the entrance of the cellar. Her cheek was still bleeding at a slow but steady pace. The other prisoners helped her where they could: Luna tore off bits of her shirt to help, and Dean had a shard of glass which he'd kept hidden since his arrival in the cellar. As the hours passed Hermione used the glass shard to cut her jeans up to her thighs and use the fabric as bandages. Ollivander couldn't spare any clothing and Hermione would never have asked: he was old and weak, and often shivered where he sat bundled up in the corner of the cellar. Griphook was the same. As night approached, she felt weak and slightly dizzy from the loss of blood as she leaned back against the wall. It was only a matter of time before she went unconscious.

"Hermione, are you feeling well?" asked Luna, watching her with a worried expression.

"Can you call Malfoy?" Hermione said faintly. Luna nodded, moving to the door and calling up through the bars. Draco was upstairs, still brooding about his unfortunate situation. He didn't want to stay around being Voldemort's puppet anymore, and realised that maybe this was why Narcissa had urged him to learn Occlumency, so that he could have a free mind. He suddenly felt guilty for thinking that he was unfortunate when he heard a voice calling up from the cellar. The mudblood was far less fortunate. But she was just a mudblood, and this was the new way of life with Voldemort in power: mudbloods suffer, purebloods prosper. But that still didn't change the fact that it was sickening to witness. He'd only just left a school which was at least half muggle-borns. But no one questioned Voldemort. Doing so was like asking to be killed.

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Downstairs Hermione waited anxiously as she heard movement from the staircase. Maybe it was because he felt guilty for not helping earlier, or maybe he was just bored, but Draco came down much faster this time. Once he reached the last step, he stopped and looked in curiously.

"What?" Draco muttered.

"Can you come in?" Hermione asked. She was sitting on the ground beside the door, without any strength to get up. Draco sighed in frustration and unlocked the door.

"Everyone move against the back wall," he ordered, listening to the other prisoners move to the back of the cellar, before stepping in.

"Lumos. Shit, Granger," said Draco, seeing the pile of blood-soaked clothing next to her. He crouched beside her, putting the light in front of her. She was deathly pale, and her hair and eyes had returned to their original brown.

"Nice legs," he said lightheartedly as he avoided looking at the blood-soaked clothes, yet his face was masked with concern. He knew he had to make a decision, and both outcomes could lead to him being in trouble: let the prisoner You-Know-Who would need to see die, or heal a mudblood of a wound Bellatrix inflicted. So much for not getting involved. Being responsible for the prisoners had been much easier before Hermione arrived.

"Grow up Malfoy and help me!" Hermione said in a would-be angry voice, but it was softer and quieter than usual. Talking loudly took too much effort, and she was drained of strength.

"Healing a mudblood isn't exactly common practice around here. Why should I?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm dying in front of you and all you have to do is flick your wand," she said, staring at him in disbelief. There was a pause before Draco responded.

"I'll get Bellatrix. It's not my place to decide," he said, his expression strained.

"No, please! Don't get her. I know we've always hated each other, but... what have I done to deserve this? Malfoy, I'm begging you, just help me? Please?" Hermione whispered as her eyes started to water. After a few tense moments, Draco sighed reluctantly. He couldn't stay uninvolved this time, he had to heal her. If she died, Voldemort would be unbelievably furious, and someone would pay the price. No doubt it would be himself since he was primarily responsible for the prisoners.

"Fine. Move your hand, let me see the cuts," he said, pushing her arm aside and shining his wand-light near her cheek. Her skin was icy cold.

"You're bloody freezing," he muttered.

"You're bloody warm," Hermione replied, looking him in the eyes as he cast the spell.

"Episkey," he murmured quietly, pointing his wand at the three cuts. They slowly began to heal, and Hermione gasped as she felt her cheek go very hot at first, then very cold. After that the wounds closed and were healed, leaving behind three tiny pink scars. Hermione touched her cheek and smiled in relief.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

"Dying peacefully in here would have been better than by You-Know-Who anyway," Draco replied, about to turn away. He knew he was right. She had countless memories of Harry, and Voldemort was going to use Legilimency and torture to get the information out of her, before discarding her. It would have been much less painful to die in the cellar, and part of him pitied her future.

"Dying quietly in here would mean to give up. I'll never give up," Hermione said with a soft resolve. She closed her eyes, relaxing against the wall. Draco watched her for a moment, reluctantly admiring her resilience. He kept his face cold however, revealing nothing to the other prisoners. He glanced at the pile of blood-soaked clothes, and wrinkled his nose with distaste again before raising his wand.

"Incendio!" he hissed, causing Hermione to jump in fright. But the flame wasn't aimed at her. Instead it ignited the pile of clothing, creating a small, warm fire.

"Better burn all that dirty muggle-born blood. Show a sense of cleanliness, will you mudblood? You're in Malfoy Manor," Draco said with a smirk, his voice dripping with his classic arrogance and sarcasm. Hermione smiled at what he'd said as he exited and locked the door. Despite the 'dirty blood' insult, his sarcastic sense of humour was somewhat refreshing considering the circumstances, and she appreciated the fire. After he left, the other prisoners came back over and huddled around the small fire, which illuminated the depressingly dark cellar with a comforting glow.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	3. Chapter 3

Time continued ticking by at an agonisingly slow pace. There was nothing to do in the cellar and the prisoners didn't have much to talk about. Hermione couldn't tell them anything about her mission with Harry and Ron, so she mainly listened while sitting beside the cellar entrance. Ollivander talked lots about his time in the cellar, wand-making, and stories of his childhood. Hermione was dying to ask him about the Elder Wand, because she was certain he knew about it. But she couldn't mention that in front of the other prisoners. Griphook never talked and if he did, it was one-word muttered answers. Dean was usually quiet, talking mostly with Luna and Griphook. Luna was her usual cheery self. Nothing seemed to dampen her spirits.

"Mr Ollivander, do you think you'll ever get out of here?" Hermione asked, warming her hands on the fire which was still burning. Draco's spell must have been strong enough to keep the flame going overnight. The old wand-maker's face was skull-like because of how thin he had become. He smiled weakly.

"I have tried every aspect of magic there is, my dear. Sadly, it is impossible. You-Know-Who is only keeping me alive because of my knowledge of wands... I don't think I'll ever leave this place alive," he said, his voice slow and weak. Hermione sighed sadly. Before anyone could say anything else, however, footsteps began coming down the stairs. It didn't sound like Draco: the footsteps were slower and more calculated. Hermione and Luna reluctantly put out the fire, fearing that it might be Bellatrix approaching them.

"Everyone against the b-back wall," came a whining type of voice, which definitely was not Draco Malfoy. Hermione had to crawl towards the back wall, and Griphook helped her sit upright beside him. Then the door unlocked, and in came Wormtail.

"Goblin, you're coming with me," said Wormtail, indicating for Griphook to follow him.

"Why?" asked Hermione, glaring at the rat-like man in front of her. She knew how much Harry hated him.

"To inspect that sword you stole, mudblood," said Wormtail with a wheezy laugh.

"Griphook! Tell them it's a fake!" Hermione whispered desperately into the goblins ear. Griphook pretended to hear nothing, but she saw him nod slightly in understanding before getting up. He wandered over to Wormtail and left the cellar, and Hermione listened to the door creak closed and lock behind him.

"I hope they don't hurt him," said Luna dreamily as the cellar went completely dark. Without a fire, it started to get very cold, very fast. They suddenly heard shouts from upstairs as Bellatrix interrogated the goblin, demanding the truth. Hermione prayed that he told them it was a fake. If the Death Eaters and Voldemort found out it was the real sword of Gryffindor, everything could be ruined.

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Later that night Hermione was sitting next to the entrance again, shivering from the cold. She was wearing the least amount of clothing compared to the other prisoners, and being the smallest and still recovering from her injuries, the cold affected her the most. She heard footsteps coming towards the cellar and her heart leapt. She was starving. The door unlocked without a word, and she was relieved that she wasn't told to move. She felt too weak to even crawl.

"Lumos," murmured a voice, the wand-light revealing it to be Draco. He moved in further and put a plate on the ground, which had food scraps on it. That was obviously their dinner, and he didn't say anything as he turned to leave. It must have been a dull routine. She wasn't sure how long Draco had been forced to do this job.

"Where is Griphook?" Hermione asked, "the goblin?"

"Why do you care?" said Draco, looking at her with his hand on the door.

"Because he's being treated with cruelty, like everyone in this cellar, that's why," Hermione replied angrily. To him, this was typical Hermione Granger behaviour. She knew where Griphook was, yet she will ask questions every chance she got, trying vainly to appear brave and self righteous. Her interest in the goblin's well-being reminded Draco of her advocacy for house elves' rights, and it made him smirk. The fact that she never got off her moral high horse was one of the many reasons why she got bullied by him and the other Slytherin's in their early years of Hogwarts. That, and of course her mudblood status. Had they been back in a classroom, he probably would have replied with a snide insult about all of this.

"He's still inspecting the sword," Draco answered instead. The door closed again, and Hermione sighed in annoyance and moved towards the food. The other prisoners had already begun eating, but Ollivander sat back against the wall.

"Mr Ollivander, are you eating any?" Hermione asked him curiously.

"No, my dear. You go ahead, there is not enough for two people, let alone four. You need your strength to get out of this place, it's too late for me," the old man said sadly. Hermione felt terrible, and tried to urge him to eat, but he adamantly refused. The plate of food scraps was very small, and the prisoners were left hungry even after they finished it. Ollivander remained silent, watching them eat ravenously. Hermione leaned against her wall again, her eyelids drooping as her stomach growled in hunger. She'd only been there for two days, and already she was injured, starving and cold. Ollivander had been there for two years, and she was shocked at how he had managed to survive. Her stomach rumbled again.

'Harry and Ron, please hurry...' were her last thoughts before she drifted to sleep.

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Hermione woke up very early the next morning feeling rather refreshed. She stood up, yawning and stretching her arms and legs. The other prisoners were still asleep, so she assumed that it was still early. Being in the dark cellar meant she'd lost track of time rather easily. Suddenly bursting to go to the toilet, and incredibly hungry, she moved to the door and called out through the bars. She hoped not to wake any of the prisoners, and oddly, she hoped that only Draco would come down. No matter how much she hated him, she liked him more than anyone else upstairs. After a few minutes, she called again, louder and more urgently.

"Where on earth are they?" she muttered to herself in annoyance, jumping up and down slightly. After what felt like ten minutes, she heard footsteps and sighed in relief as Draco came into view. He was putting on a cloak as he walked.

"Finally!" she said, gripping the bars.

"Damn it mudblood, you woke me up," he said with an angry yawn.

"Shut up and stop calling me that! I need to go to the toilet," said Hermione, shivering slightly. The constant use of 'mudblood' was frustrating her to no end, and brought back memories of her more unpleasant days at Hogwarts. Why couldn't he just use her name? She didn't call him by any nicknames, although she could use 'ferret' if she wanted to. And the word was used on purpose, which made it worse.

"Why should I let you out, you just told me to shut up. How rude," Draco said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

"Rude? You're the one calling me a mudblood," Hermione hissed.

"Well that's what you are, and besides, you're my prisoner. I can call you whatever I want," said Draco, a superior smirk playing across his lips.

"I'm sorry, master, may I please go to the bathroom?" Hermione said sarcastically.

"That's better," said Draco as he unlocked the door, "ladies first." Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"What, so you can stare at my legs? I'm not a slut like Pansy Parkinson," Hermione replied waspishly, crossing her arms. Draco glared at her, his eyes glinting with anger she hadn't seen before. She grabbed her by the arm and pushed her towards the stairs silently. She climbed the staircase, proud that her insult had gotten to him somehow.

"Watch your mouth mudblood, and remember where you are," Draco spat when they reached the top of the staircase. Regardless of her faults, Pansy had always been his closest friend throughout Hogwarts. The fact that Granger, a mudblood, a prisoner who he felt he'd actually helped, was insulting him in his own house, was frustrating him beyond belief. He knew that it was in her nature to be defiant, with her Gryffindor pride. Yet that's what made it even worse. Gryffindor's never knew when to shut up, and their courage made them fools.

"And what if I don't shut up?" said Hermione. She'd always hated being told what to do, most of all by someone like Malfoy.

"I'm the one with the wand, mudblood. Respect that fact," he said, drawing his wand. Hermione began to step backwards, watching his hand wearily.

"I'm not scared of you," she said defiantly, looking back into his eyes. They held nothing but dislike in return, as Draco decided that it was time to put her in her place.

"Oh really? Serpensortia..." murmured Draco, casting a fierce black snake from his wand. Its eyes were fixed on Hermione as it slithered towards her swiftly. Stepping away from it in fear, she bumped into a wall and was trapped with nowhere to go.

"Malfoy stop it," said Hermione shakily, but of course he didn't do anything. The snake reached her foot and slithered up her leg, causing her to freeze and lean flat against the wall. She opened her mouth to scream but quickly closed it again.

"You'd better not scream, wouldn't want Bellatrix to hear," said Draco with a smirk.

"Please get if off me!" gasped Hermione, as the snake continued moving up her body. It finally reached her arm, and stopped on her shoulder. She looked sideways and saw its black eyes staring into her own, as it bared its fangs and hissed frighteningly.

"Are you scared now, mudblood?" asked Draco as he pointed his wand at her. The snake slithered around her neck and tightened slightly, its head in mid-air still looking into her eyes. It's pitiless black gaze made her almost mute with fear, but she wouldn't admit it aloud.

"Don't let it hurt me," said Hermione, her body beginning to shake slightly. Draco watched with amusement. It appeared that the Gryffindor's lion-like spirit was crumbling under the fear of Slytherin's snake. The snake moved its head closer to her cheek and snapped its jaws hungrily, causing her to flinch and look away.

"Malfoy stop it! Okay, I'm scared!" she said pleadingly, looking at him with a terrified expression. Satisfied that he'd proven his point, he flicked his wand and the snake slithered off of her body, landing on the ground and vanishing with a puff of dark smoke. She exhaled in relief and shuddered slightly.

"Good. Don't piss me off again and we'll get along just fine," said Draco as he continued walking. Hermione followed him nervously, and they walked in silence to the bathroom. Once they reached the bathroom, Hermione hurried in without a word and closed the door. She considered locking it, but knew that it would be childish. He could easily just use his wand to open it if he wanted to. She silently cursed herself for showing fear, but it's not like she had any choice. A snide comment from her and the snake would have struck. She brooded, thinking to herself that if she had a wand, and if Harry and Ron were there, Draco wouldn't be acting so tough.

But she supposed that was the point, no one else was there and she didn't have a wand. She was alone and it depressed her slightly as she realised that the only person she could rely on, was Malfoy. He'd proven that he wasn't all that bad by healing her and making the fear, and he didn't let the snake hurt her either. Maybe he was just keeping his distance because of the other Death Eaters. She considered at least trying to be civil with him. Making him hate her anymore wouldn't do her any good, and she needed his help if she was going to survive in the cellar like Ollivander had. After going to the toilet, she'd been waiting in the bathroom for over ten minutes until she was ready to leave. With a sigh, she stared at the door for a few moments before opening it.

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Draco acted as though she wasn't there as he led the way back to the cellar. It was uncomfortable walking in silence, and she didn't know what to say. They hated each other, how was it possible to start any sort of conversation? She noticed from the Manor's windows that it was early morning and her stomach rumbled loudly. She felt herself go red with embarrassment and she knew that Draco heard it. The mudblood was a starving prisoner and the pureblood didn't care. It felt humiliating. Hermione decided to start conversation with food, since that was the most pressing thing on her mind.

"When's breakfast?" asked Hermione, breaking the silence.

"Later. Why, didn't you get fed enough last night?" asked Draco sarcastically. He knew it was a cruel thing to ask, but cruelty towards mudbloods was expected. One of the Death Eaters could be awake, and he had a reputation to maintain. Frustrating Granger also never failed to amuse him, so there was that.

"No, I did not get fed enough last night and I went to sleep starving! You're such an asshole!" Hermione hissed, trying to keep her voice down. Even though he could bring the snake back at any moment, she felt furious at being mocked about the dinner.

"Keep it down Granger, you might wake Bellatrix," Draco snickered as they reached the stairs to the cellar.

"No-one's awake, you could have easily just given me an apple or something. But fine, let me starve," Hermione said in an attempt to make him feel guilty as they descended the steps. Her comment seemed to have struck a nerve, as he went strangely quiet for a few moments as he unlocked the cellar door.

"Whatever mudblood. Get in," he said coldly as he slammed the door behind her and locked it. They glared at each other through the bars. She found it surprising that of all the things she'd said to him, making him guilty seemed to anger him the most. Who knew that he had some sort of conscience. Regardless, she felt herself hating him more and more by the second as she sat in miserable, agonising silence beside the cellar door. The other prisoners were still asleep and there was nothing to do. Then she heard footsteps again, and saw an apple roll through the bars onto the floor beside her. At first she couldn't believe her eyes and peeked through the bars curiously to see Draco departing. She smiled as she picked the apple up. They were complete opposites and she'd never met anyone more selfish than him, but it seemed that even Draco Malfoy was capable of some sympathy.

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Later that morning Griphook returned to the cellar, bruised and battered. But he did as Hermione had asked. After many hours of inspection knowing that it was the real sword, he insisted that it was a fake copy. Hermione was relieved when he told her and she was in good spirits when Draco came with their morning meal. He seemed quieter and less social than usual, making her curious as to what was happening upstairs.

"Thanks for the apple, and the fire too," Hermione said quietly as he turned to leave. She wondered whether he would actually talk casually to her without any insults, if she talked casually to him. Who knew how long she'd be stuck in the cellar, possibly months. Being his enemy would only make her time there worse, and he was the one with the wand. He stopped at the entrance and sighed heavily.

"Granger, are you good at Occlumency?" he asked, without turning around.

"I know the concept, I practiced it a bit with Harry," said Hermione in confusion, "why?"

"Never mind," he muttered, stepping out of the cellar. But before he could close the door, Hermione grabbed it and held it open.

"Is he here?" she asked in a whisper.

"Is who here?" Draco replied, raising an eyebrow.

"You know who I mean," Hermione hissed. Draco hesitated for a moment before answering.

"Yes, he arrived earlier. And he wants to see you in an hour," said Draco grimly.

"And... if he sees what you've done, you'll get in trouble?" Hermione asked in disbelief. Draco nodded stiffly.

"It was just an apple Malfoy," Hermione laughed, but the situation was far from amusing to him.

"Just an apple to you, but not to him. He'll see that I healed you too. Pity towards mudbloods is for blood traitors and scum," Draco growled, glancing towards the staircase. He was on edge, and Hermione was beginning to understand why. In an hours time, Voldemort could see into her memories and observe even this very conversation.

"Malfoy, we hate each other. But if you hadn't kept me alive, You-Know-Who wouldn't be able to interrogate me. You're just doing your job," Hermione said hesitantly, attempting to convince herself and Draco that it would be okay. It shocked her that she was actually somewhat worried about his well-being.

"He's not an idiot Granger. He notices everything and won't overlook any of this," Draco hissed as he pulled the door closed.

"This place is horrible," Hermione said gloomily as she leaned against the bars of the door.

"I know, get used to it. Just hope that he doesn't see any of this, because if he does I'll probably end up down here with you," Draco said, his voice filled with dread as he locked the door.

"I'll try my best with Occlumency," Hermione promised weakly. She felt sorry for him as he left, and realised how cruel life really could be. Putting herself in his shoes, she saw everything in a different perspective. In his life if you disobey, you die. His emotions and feelings didn't matter, all that mattered was doing what Voldemort told him to do. Knowing that in an hour she would be face to face with Voldemort filled her with terror. Was he really as genius as Dumbledore? Would he find out about the horcruxes? What would his reaction be? The questions whirled around in her head, making her more and more anxious. She tried to remember the things Harry did during his Occlumency lessons, like blocking out thoughts and memories. But it felt useless, she never practiced it much. All she could do was wait and as Draco said, hope.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	4. Chapter 4

Time flew by and before she knew it Draco had returned and unlocked the door. Hermione said goodbye to the other prisoners, wondering if that was the last time she would see them, as she left the cellar. Upstairs in the middle of the day, the Malfoy Manor was buzzing with activity, it was almost like the Order, only full of Death Eaters. She got disgusted glares from every person she walked past, so she simply focused on where Draco was walking and kept close behind him. They went up another floor and walked down a dark corridor. At the far end was a door, which he stopped at. Clearly Voldemort was waiting inside. Hermione could feel her hands sweating slightly as she took a deep breath.

"See you soon," said Hermione, looking at Draco. She didn't know what else to say, she couldn't exactly say anything else.

"More than likely," Draco muttered, with a slightly crestfallen expression. She realised he was referring to the fact that he'd be chucked in the cellar with them if Voldemort found out what he'd done. She felt a pang of pity for him as he opened the door. She entered, and the door was immediately closed behind her.

"Hermione Granger, muggle-born, Gryffindor, seventh year Hogwarts student and best friend of Harry Potter," said a chilling voice. She turned and saw Lord Voldemort himself standing behind a desk near the other side of the room. It must have been where Voldemort spent most of his time, because the walls were lined with bookshelves of hundreds of books, none of which looked very pleasant. Hermione had no doubt that this room was filled with more dark knowledge than the entire library at Hogwarts. Fear and anxiety mixed with anger and hatred, as she stayed where she was.

"Sixth year student, actually. I couldn't do my seventh year at Hogwarts, thanks to you," Hermione said contemptuously.

"I have questions. You can either tell me the answers, or I will take them from you," he went on as if there was no interruption. Hermione often pictured a psychotic evil wizard, but Voldemort was not as people explained. He was evil, his voice was cold, his eyes a shocking red. His expression seemed capable of only showing emotions of anger, fury or disinterest. His figure was inhuman. But he was passive, intelligent, calculating, which made him all the more frightening.

"Go to hell," Hermione said, glaring at him defiantly. Her voice shook slightly, but Voldemort got the message. She was scared, but she wasn't going to co-operate.

"So be it," he hissed coldly, raising his wand as he moved towards her. Hermione closed her eyes, waiting for the torture that was surely coming.

"Legilimens!" Voldemort shouted, and Hermione was not expecting what came next at all. It felt as if her head had been cracked open by the spell and Voldemort was in control: memories, thoughts and emotions flashed through her mind. Everything he saw, she saw. They were reading her memory together like a book, though it was Voldemort turning the pages. The memories started very early, her first day at Hogwarts when she was put in Gryffindor. The first time Draco called her a 'Mudblood' in her second year. Memories of using the Time-Turner in her third year, so that she could take on extra classes. Helping Harry during the Triwizard tournament in their fourth year. Creating the 'Dumbledore's Army' and defying Professor Umbridge. Memories of Draco and the Slytherin's bullying her, Harry and Ron. Memory after memory of her perfect school marks in every subject, continued flashing through. Her perfect marks, her extraordinary magical ability. Memories of teachers reminding her how brilliant she was. Voldemort seemed to take an interest in her intelligence. To Tom Riddle, it reminded him of his own brilliance at Hogwarts when he was her age: she didn't know how she knew this, but she did.

Then the memories pushed onwards, flashing so fast that Hermione could barely keep track. Harry complaining about his nightmares, Harry insisting that he hates Snape, Harry unable to learn Occlumency, Harry seeing Voldemort do terrible things in his nightmares... it was all about Harry now. Voldemort was learning as much as he could, all from her eyes. She felt terrible and attempted to push the thoughts out, block the memories. But Voldemort was indeed the master of Legilimency and there was nothing she could do. Then the memories became more recent. She was staying at The Burrow with the Order of the Phoenix, memories of all the members. Voldemort seemed uninterested in this and pushed further forwards. Hermione could sense his hunger for knowledge, he was searching, searching with all his power. She could also sense her own panic as she tried to stop the memories from coming. Then the memory of Ron holding the broken locket: Slytherin's locket, smashed; and the Gryffindor's sword in his other hand. The memory replayed and Hermione sensed fear, confusion in Voldemort. Disbelief, anger, rage. Memories flooded through, making her head pound. These were Voldemort's memories, as he remembered putting the locket in the basin of potion. How had these teenagers taken it from him?

His anger made him search faster. It was all about horcruxes now. Tom Riddle's diary, stabbed by the basilisk fang. Marvolo's Ring, broken with Gryffindor's sword. He continued searching, 'three gone... three destroyed'. After what seemed like ages of horcruxes, he moved forwards again to the most recent memories. Hermione casting the body binding spell on Harry and Ron, so that they could escape. Her being captured and tortured by Bellatrix, Draco levitating her and locking her in the cellar. Voldemort seemed interested in everything recent, everything she had done in the last few days. No matter how desperate she attempted to stop the memories, they kept coming. Her cuts, slowly killing her as she begged Draco to heal her. Draco reluctantly healing them and making the fire. Draco casting the snake yet stopping it from hurting her. Then it all changed once again, all of the focus was on Draco. The memories flashed rapidly, every time he'd bullied her, called her names in corridors flooded past. Her punching him in the face in her third year. Memories of how strained and pale Malfoy seemed in their sixth year, while he tried to assassinate Dumbledore. Their constant fighting in the Malfoy Manor just yesterday. The apple rolling into the cellar, her smile. Him asking her if she was good at Occlumency, saying that 'pity towards mudbloods is for blood traitors and scum'. Draco's crestfallen expression as she entered the room, her telling Voldemort to 'go to hell'. The sudden feeling of her head being cracked open by the Legilimens spell.

Then her eyes burst open and she was back to reality. She was lying on the ground drenched in sweat, shaking uncontrollably, her mind reeling. She felt dizzy as she noticed that Voldemort was leaning against the desk, looking drained.

"How did you know about the horcruxes?" Voldemort demanded, his eyes ablaze with red fury.

"I'm not telling you anything," Hermione responded, clutching her temples.

"Tell me! Crucio!" Voldemort screamed, his wand lashing out and causing Hermione to scream in pain. The power of the spell was far greater than Bellatrix, a pain that she had never experienced before. It was enough to make anyone willing to answer truthfully.

"Tell me or I will take it from you again!" said the cold, hate-filled voice. He was right. Better to say it, than have him scourge her memories and find something else that she didn't want him to find.

"D-dumbledore! He knew about your horcruxes and he knew how to defeat you," Hermione gasped. She was satisfied to see Voldemort looking demented with fury at this.

"Dumbledore, the old fool," Voldemort hissed to himself.

"He's a genius," Hermione snapped coldly.

"He's a fool because he's dead. I'm alive, and immortal," said Voldemort.

"You won't be immortal for long, Harry will stop you," Hermione said proudly as she stood up.

"Any chance of stopping me died with Dumbledore, no one else has the power to even face me, least of all Potter, who hasn't been seen in months!" Voldemort spat furiously.

"If you're going to kill me, you'd better get it over with now," Hermione said angrily, refusing to listen to Voldemort's drivel. There was a pause as Voldemort considered his next move, but Hermione had a feeling that he wasn't going to kill her. There had to be a reason for him taking interest in her childhood and school grades, because he was trying to figure out her personality. And just like Ollivander had said, Voldemort was keeping him alive simply because of his knowledge of wands. If he wasn't a wand-maker, he would have been killed a year ago. Hermione was no different, she still had information on Harry and being Hermione Granger, she could be used against Harry.

"I only kill those who are useless to me. You have important information on Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I want to infiltrate the Order and capture Potter, I could do this by taking some of your hair and having Snape create a Polyjuice potion. But of course, the Order have their own secret passwords and ways of discovering imposters. Another way would be putting you under the Imperius curse, but again with enough willpower you could break free of the spell and you would escape," said Voldemort casually, confusing her by openly revealing his tactics.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Hermione interrupted angrily.

"Because you are gifted with a brilliant mind, like myself, like Dumbledore. You and I both know there is only one way I can infiltrate the Order and that is if you co-operate. The choice is yours, do everything I ask and be free of the cellar, live a normal life when all of this is over. Or go back to the cellar, where you will starve and rot until you die, for nothing," said Voldemort coldly as he glared at her. Hermione shook her head in disgust, there was absolutely no way she would agree to whatever he had in mind. She would sooner die than turn over her best friends and that would never change.

"No."

"Crucio!"

\----------

Hermione was later thrown onto the ground in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. There were dim lights shining above the long table and all of the Death Eaters were seated for what looked like some sort of meeting. Draco had a bad feeling about what was going to happen. He didn't want to see Hermione die, no matter how much they hated each other. Death was never pleasant to witness, and he'd seen enough people die already.

"I have retrieved very important information from this mudblood and she is of no use to me any longer," said Voldemort, seated at the far end of the table.

"Let me kill the filth, my lord!" Bellatrix hissed eagerly, but Vldemort held up his hand for silence.

"No, Draco must do this to make up for his failure to kill Dumbledore," said Voldemort coldly, a wicked smile forming on his lips.

Everyone turned to Draco, who was sitting at the table near where Hermione's body lay on the ground, his eyes wide with shock. His bad feeling was confirmed, this was his opportunity to 'redeem' himself and his family. He remembered Dumbledore's words, 'Draco, you are not a killer. We can help you.' How could anyone help him? It was just like last year, he didn't have any options and if he failed to do what Voldemort asked a second time, he was going to die. He looked to his parents for some sort of support, or guidance. Lucius was watching him murderously, expecting him to uphold the family honour by killing the mudblood. Narcissa had already began to openly sob, which was the only sound in the room, as she looked from Voldemort to her son.

Draco slowly stood up and moved to where Hermione was lying. He drew his wand, trying to calm his heart rate, trying to take deep breaths. All he had to do was say the words, she didn't mean anything to him. Just say the words, get it over with and he would save himself and his family from Voldemort's wrath. His wand hand shook vigorously and sweat began to break out on his forehead. Hermione looked up at him, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with tears. What on earth had she done to deserve this? What on earth had he done to deserve this? He was seventeen and the act of killing an innocent girl his own age was too much.

"I - I can't," Draco said, his voice shaking just as much as his wand.

"Kill her!" Voldemort hissed.

"Ava-" Draco started, his voice and hand trembling terribly.

"Don't do it! Please!" Hermione pleaded, looking at Draco desperately. She couldn't believe Voldemort was actually going to have her killed, by Draco. The cruelty of the situation overwhelmed her as she broke out into sobbing. She sounded like Narcissa.

"DO IT!" Voldemort screamed furiously. But it was too late, after Hermione pleading Draco's wand hand faltered. It was hard enough when he was face to face with Dumbledore and Dumbledore hadn't pleaded at all. His wand hand dropped to his side and his wand clattered to the ground. He looked ghostly pale. The Death Eaters at the table muttered in what sounded like shame, but a few looked upon him with pity. They all knew that Draco wasn't capable of murder and by selecting Draco to do it, Voldemort had no intention of killing Hermione. If he had, he would have asked Bellatrix. This was all just part of the Malfoy family's punishment.

"You will rot in the cellar with the rest of them until I no longer require you," Voldemort said with calculated malice, but Narcissa looked hysterical as she continued crying.

"Please not my son! I'm b-begging you m-my lord, don't do this to my son!" she begged. But Voldemort paid no attention to her, as he ordered Wormtail to lock Draco and Hermione in the cellar.

\----------

Hours had passed and it was night-time, though you couldn't tell in the cellar. There were now six prisoners. Griphook and Dean sat in their own corner, mainly quiet and often keeping to themselves. Ollivander, Luna and Hermione sat in another corner and they seemed to be the only ones socialising. Draco was sitting by himself, as far away from the rest as possible. He hadn't said a word to anyone and he especially didn't want to talk to Hermione. To put it simply, he felt as though his world had just been turned upside down. All because of the mudblood, he was separated from his parents, turned from loyal Death Eater to prisoner and locked in a cellar, destined to die. Even though he knew it was his fault, he still felt as though it was hers. Sure, he was given the opportunity to kill her, but he couldn't do it because she... was Hermione Granger. The girl with perfect morals, the bookworm, the type of person who went out of her way to help others. It was her fault for just being her. Hermione kept glancing at him and despite trying to ignore her, he looked over and made eye contact. Taking this as an invitation, Hermione walked over to where he was sitting against the wall and sat down beside him. There was silence for a few minutes, as Draco refused to talk. It was clear to Hermione that he was in a very bad mood, but she ignored this.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, breaking the silence.

"I don't want your thanks and I sure as hell don't want to talk to you. It's your fault I'm stuck in this damn cellar," Draco burst out angrily.

"How is it my fault? You made a choice Malfoy, and you made the right choice. You did a decent thing and I'm grateful, I owe you my life," said Hermione in exasperation.

"You have no life, not anymore. The Dark Lord will win this war and everyone in this cellar is going to die," Draco spat, looking away from her. He believed every word he was saying because to him, who could kill Voldemort? Sure, Harry Potter was the 'Chosen One', but Potter was a frightened coward who'd been hiding for months with the mudblood sitting beside him. They weren't fighting a war, they were hiding in the dark like scared children. They were hiding in safety while Draco was fighting alongside Death Eaters, risking his life, being ordered to kill Albus Dumbledore. And Gryffindor's were meant to be the brave ones?

"You're so negative," Hermione muttered, having opposite thoughts entirely. She knew all about the horcruxes, Harry and Ron were still free to stop Voldemort. And once they rescued her, which she hoped they would do very soon, she could help finish the mission Dumbledore had left them. There was still a fighting chance and there always would be while they lived.

"Life isn't all sunshine and rainbows! It's about time you damn wake up and face reality!" Draco growled, rounding on her.

"Face reality? Life has been torture for me, Harry and Ron! Do you honestly think that we've had it easy for the past few months?" Hermione hissed furiously.

"You've had it easier than me, I can promise you that," Draco snapped.

"For months we've been on the run, with no food, scared for our lives because of you Death Eater monsters!" Hermione said. Draco glared at her angrily. How ignorant could she be? That was the whole reason she'd had it easy: they were always running! Away from danger, away from fear. Which again, in his mind, made them cowards. He'd been stuck in the middle of it all, in the worst part of the war. He'd been ordered to assassinate Dumbledore, watch his father be punished by Voldemort, ordered to torture prisoners. Life was hell for him in a way Hermione couldn't possibly imagine.

"Yeah? Well at least you've been able to run. At least you had choices, cause I never had any. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm not a Death Eater anymore, thanks to you," he snapped.

"Well you're still a monster. I remember when we were little, you always bullied me and called me names. Sometimes I was too scared to go to class because of people like you." As Hermione said the words, she regretted them immediately. He had just spared her life, after all. Due to Voldemort's Legilimency spell however, the memories of Draco bullying her were still vividly in the forefront of her mind, as if they'd only happened yesterday. Sure he was older and slightly more mature. He didn't use the childish nicknames that he once used and he didn't strut around all Malfoy-like anymore. But he still called her a mudblood and he was still a jerk.

"That has nothing to do with this!" Draco said exasperatedly, completely bewildered by what she'd said. That was years ago! They were arguing about the last few months, not when they were twelve.

"Oh yes it does. You made our lives hell for years and so has You-Know-Who. You've had it much easier than us, especially at Hogwarts," snapped Hermione.

"I don't care. I really don't care, about you, about your friends, anything. None of it matters anymore, because we're going to die here," Draco said quickly, shaking his head and standing up to get away from her. He'd had enough of arguing with the bookworm, because she would never admit she was wrong. Just like in school, she was still a know-it-all, he thought to himself.

"'Where there's a will, there's a way'," Hermione quoted, also standing up.

"Where'd you learn that saying? One of your books?" Draco sneered as he walked away from her.

"No, it's a muggle saying. And it means if we have enough determination, we can always solve the problem," Hermione said as she followed him through the cellar. Draco shook his head. He was definitely going to win this argument.

"Oh really? Ollivander, is it in any way possible to get out of here? How many things have you tried?" Draco demanded, looking at the old thin man sitting against the back wall. Draco and Ollivander were almost on a first-name basis. After all, it was Draco and Wormtail who'd been keeping the old wand-maker alive for the last two years. And Draco also knew every escape attempt that Ollivander had tried. Everyone looked at Ollivander, who took a deep breath.

"The door is indestructible. I've searched every inch of the floor, walls and roof, they are all solid as stone. There is no physical way out. Apparating out of this room is impossible. Wandless magic is also impossible. Animagus transformation is impossible, as is ordinary transfiguration, port keys and Patronus charms. The entire cellar has been enchanted. The only way to escape, is by attacking the next person who opens that door and taking their wand," said Ollivander wisely. When he finished, Draco smirked triumphantly at Hermione, who scowled.

"Fine. Just sit in your corner, miserable and cold, waiting to die, if that's what you want," Hermione spat, crossing her arms furiously.

"Good. I'll do exactly that, mudblood," said Draco, sitting against the wall again. Hermione was the only one standing, the only one who still thought escape was possible. It frustrated her to see the other prisoners just lazing about. Surely there had to be something? Luna had a few ideas, all of which involved some sort of creature or object that didn't exist which, if possible, annoyed Hermione even more. She began pacing, trying to remember something from her six years of education that could help.

"Sit down, your constant pacing is so distracting," said Draco irritably.

"Oh, what's it distracting you from? I can't see you doing anything else that's useful," Hermione snapped at him.

"I'm saving my energy so I can live longer, not that it'll make any difference," he said coldly. They glared at each other, then Hermione began pacing again, making Draco sigh angrily. They simply were not meant to be in such close proximity. They were opposite in every way, whatever one did seemed to annoy the other. Giving up on telling her to stop, Draco simply watched her walk instead. Hermione ignored his staring, knowing that he was doing it on purpose to make her uncomfortable. She just kept thinking of as many different forms of magic as she could.

"Your little muggle brain just doesn't stop buzzing, does it?" Draco sneered, breaking the silence.

"I don't have a muggle brain! I have a magical brain and I'm smarter than you, so don't talk to me like I'm dumb," Hermione said angrily. Draco snickered to himself. Annoying her seemed to be much more entertaining than constant silence.

"Aha! I have it!" Hermione suddenly squealed in excitement.

"Mudbloods... they truly are the most unusual creatures," Draco said sarcastically, watching her as she hopped up and down.

"Magical creatures! The spell that stops apparating in here is designed to stop humans from apparating, but not creatures!" said Hermione quickly, overjoyed that she'd figured it out.

"And what creature do you expect to apparate in here and rescue us? A unicorn?" Draco mocked her.

"No, a house elf! Harry will send Dobby or Kreacher, I'm sure of it. It's only a matter of time," Hermione said, in a slight whisper this time. It was her turn to smirk as Draco blinked stupidly. Ollivander smiled.

"Ah, house elves. A brilliant idea, Hermione. But I'm afraid that until Mr Potter thinks of that idea... we are still going to be stuck here," said the old man. Hermione nodded, sitting in between Ollivander and Draco with a smile and new aura of energy. Draco shook his head and moved away from her a bit . Her smile was almost contagious, but there was no way he'd be celebrating with them.

"I know. He'll send Dobby, I know he will," Hermione said confidently.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	5. Chapter 5

Earlier the day before, Harry and Ron arrived at The Burrow and spread the news of what had happened to Hermione. No matter how much Ron urged them to take action, many of the Order members insisted that they think of a proper plan, like Harry had. So they spent most of their time at The Burrow discussing what they could do and it was only when Hagrid arrived that they finally thought of something. Lupin had been insisting that the Manor was far too large to break into and find Hermione without being caught. Mr Weasley had done Ministry raids on the Manor years ago when he was searching for dark artifacts, and he suspected that the cellar was the most obvious place that prisoners would be kept. But even so, it was risky to try. There was only one certain plan that would work, and Hagrid helped them figure it out.

"They would definitely have anti-Apparition enchantments on the cellar," said Lupin when Ron suggested to apparate.

"Apparating fer wizards won' work, but creatures magic is diff'rent," said Hagrid, reminding them that he was a Care of Magical Creatures professor. This got the others thinking, as they looked at him thoughtfully.

"Hagrid do you... do you mean like elf magic? Dobby once told me that elf magic was different to wizards," said Harry curiously.

"'Course it is, how do yeh think all the house elves apparate round Hogwarts when us wizards can't? It's diff'rent magic," said Hagrid proudly. He'd never been the most intelligent of the Order, but when it came to magical creatures he and Lupin were undeniably the experts.

"And Dobby used to live at Malfoy's house... he'll know where the cellar is and everything!" said Ron incredulously. The two best friends suddenly had a spark of hope: this was their chance to save Hermione. Without telling the others, Harry knew exactly what he had to do.

"Dobby!" Harry called, and an instant later the small house elf appeared with a loud crack, in the middle of the room. He looked very much the same as he always had, although because of Dumbledore passing away, he was wearing less socks. Clearly Snape and the Carrow's didn't believe in paying house elves like Dumbledore did. But no one paid any attention to his socks, they were all looking at him in urgency.

"Harry Potter, sir! It is wonderful to see you again!" squeaked Dobby, as he looked around at all the strained faces.

"It's great to see you too, Dobby. Listen, can you apparate into the cellar at the Malfoy Manor?" Harry asked, crouching in front of the elf.

"Easily, sir. Why must Dobby go back to his old masters home?" asked Dobby nervously.

"Hermione is stuck in the cellar, she's a prisoner. You have to save her and bring her here, okay?" Harry asked, and before he'd even finished the sentence Dobby was nodding.

"Yes sir!" replied the elf in determination. Before anyone else could interfere, the elf clicked his fingers and vanished on the spot.

"Doesn't hesitate, does he?" commented Lupin in surprise.

"No he doesn't," said Harry proudly as he sat back with a wide smile. Dobby really was a life saver.

\----------

"It's only a matter of time now," said Hermione, breaking the agonising silence once more.

"You've said that for the past four hours. Shut up!" Draco snapped, getting into a more comfortable position. He was lying on his stomach, attempting to get to sleep. He firmly believed that no house elf was coming, otherwise it would have happened earlier. And even if an elf did come, why would that matter to him? It wasn't like the mudblood would let him escape with her. Besides, the Order probably abandoned Granger, and he couldn't blame them. She was annoying as hell.

"You're just angry because I figured it out," Hermione continued smugly. Draco rolled his eyes for what felt like the millionth time.

"Whatever," he muttered in reply, "you little nerd."

"See! You can't accept being wrong so you have to insult me to make yourself feel better," said Hermione exasperatedly. It had been going on for quite some time, a constant back and forth bickering to pass the time. It was a very dull cellar and the only thing to do was talk, no matter who the conversation was with. After spending the previous two days talking to Ollivander and Luna, there wasn't much to talk about with them. And since they were enemies, frustrating Malfoy seemed like the appropriate thing to do.

"I'm sick of talking to you. I don't socialise with mudbloods and Gryffindor's," Draco said as he closed his eyes and tried, once again, to block her out. But there was a sudden crack! and his eyes shot open in alarm. There stood Dobby, his old house elf.

"Miss Hermione! Dobby has been sent by Harry Potter to rescue you from the cellar at Malfoy Ma-" Dobby began to say, a bit too loud.

"I know, I know! Shh, we don't want anyone upstairs hearing," Hermione said urgently.

"We must go at once!" said Dobby as he moved towards her.

"Wait, Dobby! Take Mr Ollivander, Luna, Dean and Griphook first, okay? Then come straight back for me," Hermione said, pointing to the other prisoners. Dobby obeyed instantly and he quickly held Griphook's and Dean's hands. All three of them vanished on the spot. Ollivander stood up weakly as his eyes began to water with tears of happiness.

"I can't believe it, two years I've been here!" said the old man, overjoyed.

"Goodbye Luna, goodbye Mr Ollivander! I'll be right after you," Hermione said happily, hugging them both warmly. Dobby returned and swiftly left again with a crack, this time vanishing with Luna and Ollivander. It all happened so fast and all that remained was Hermione and Draco, staring at each other in silence. Draco didn't know what to say, he knew Hermione was going to leave without him. She was part of the Order and he was part of... well, nothing now. They barely knew each other, they still hated each other, so it wasn't like he could say goodbye. There was an air of awkwardness, as neither of them knew what to say.

"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.

"I don't know. Die here, I suppose," Draco answered, moving into a sitting position against the wall. He looked miserable, and almost embarrassed. Hermione couldn't blame him, he was a prisoner in his own house and she was going to leave him there to die. She imagined what it would be like to be left in the cellar alone, destined to die. It was a fate she wouldn't wish upon her worst enemy...

"Come with me, Malfoy," said Hermione firmly. He looked up at her in surprise.

"You can't be serious?" he asked. There was yet another crack, and Dobby appeared in between them.

"I'm serious! Come with me!" she urged, offering her hand. Dobby looked back and forth between them, his ears flapping. Even the elf was surprised.

"I don't belong there, Granger. I'll just be a prisoner of the Order as well, and they'll probably hand me over to Azkaban," Draco muttered, staring at the ground.

"They wouldn't do that and besides, you don't even deserve to go to Azkaban. You haven't killed anyone, Malfoy," Hermione insisted. Draco considered it, running his hand through his blonde hair. He knew this was his only chance of survival, but what would happen to his mother and father? Unlike Hermione, he didn't have an Order of friends and people that loved him. All he had left was his parents, and if he left, their lives would be in danger. As he thought about all of this, he made a promise to himself that if he ever got the opportunity, he would come back for them. With that, he secretly thanked Merlin for Hermione's sympathy at that moment. Perhaps it was a good thing that she was a Gryffindor.

"Fine then, I'll go with you," he said as he stood up. Hermione smiled slightly and turned to Dobby.

"Before we go, Dobby, we need to get a few things from upstairs. Our wands and more importantly, the sword of Gryffindor. It is incredibly important that we get them, Harry would want that," Hermione said as she moved towards the entrance.

"You can't be serious Granger!" Draco suddenly protested. He agreed to escape, not risk his life for some wands and an old sword. He was completely ignored however.

"Very well, miss! Dobby will protect you from harm!" squeaked the elf. He grabbed Hermione's and Draco's hands and disapparated out of the cellar. They re-appeared upstairs and were engulfed in complete darkness. Luckily it was night time, the lights were out and nobody was in the drawing room.

"Where are our wands? And the sword?" Hermione whispered to Draco in the darkness. He had to know where they hid the prisoners items and Hermione wanted to be as fast as possible. Draco looked reluctant, even somewhat terrified at what they were about to do, but sighed in resignation. She was his only chance of escape.

"One floor up, in one of the rooms. Follow me," Draco muttered as he began moving. Dobby only followed Hermione, since he was probably still weary of his old master. Hermione tried to follow Draco, but it was so dark she could barely see her hands in front of her.

"I can't see you, slow down!" she whispered, just as scared as he was. They were stumbling in the silent darkness, and whispering seemed loud enough to catch someones attention from upstairs. Suddenly she walked straight into Draco, who had stopped and turned around.

"Damn it Granger, you said slow down," he growled from in front of her. Hermione slipped her hand into his, holding it tightly.

"Go now," she said quietly. Draco felt uncomfortable holding her hand, but he nodded and they all began moving again. He must have known the house very well to know where he was going in the dark. Hermione had no idea where they were. They began walking up stairs and she had to concentrate not to trip. They moved down an upstairs corridor, and Draco stopped in front of a door.

"This is it. It's locked," he said, fiddling with the door handle. They heard footsteps and turned to look down the corridor in terrified surprise.

"Lumos!" hissed a voice, the light filling up the corridor. The person holding the wand was Bellatrix, her eyes fixed on them. Hermione stiffened in fear.

"I'll kill you! All three of you!" Bellatrix screamed, "Avada-"

"Dobby can apparate inside!" Dobby squeaked, grabbing both their arms and apparating again, too quick for Bellatrix. They re-appeared inside the room, which was faintly lit by a lamp, and searched it as fast as they could. Hermione's heart was pounding and her hands shaking. She found the two wands on a desk and snatched them up quickly. She helped Draco search for the sword and just as he pointed towards it, the door was blasted open. Everything next went in slow motion. Draco ran for the sword, which was leaning against the wall, his hands gripping the hilt. Bellatrix raised her wand, pointing it towards Hermione, her eyes gleaming in triumph.

"Avada Kedavra!" she screamed. Hermione saw the blinding flash of green light, thinking it would be her last memory. But Dobby had jumped in front of her, taking the spell directly in the chest.

"Dobby!" Hermione screamed, as Draco returned to her with the sword.

"Serpensortia!" Bellatrix screeched next, but Hermione had already wrapped her arms around Draco and turned on the spot.

\----------

It felt like being pulled through a rubber tube as they disapparated from Malfoy Manor. Thankfully only the cellar had a anti-apparition charm, the rest of the Manor was open so that the Death Eaters could come and go quickly. A few seconds later and they were toppling over each other onto leaves and dirt. Hermione opened her eyes to see where they were, and she was confused to see that they had landed in a forest. It was late afternoon and the sun was just going down. Then she heard a hissing sound, and a shout of pain from beside her. She screamed in fright, drawing her wand. The snake Bellatrix summoned had bitten Draco on the arm and held on through the disapparation.

"Relashio!" she said shrilly. Her spell hit the snake and threw it off Draco, who quickly rolled away from it, holding his arm and cursing in pain. The snake prepared to strike again, hissing viciously.

"Reducto!" Hermione shouted, the spell causing the snake to explode. She hurried over to Draco and knelt beside him.

"Let me see it," she said urgently, trying to pull his hand away, but he was gripping the snake-bite tightly and refused to let go.

"Don't touch it!" he growled in pain.

"I have to heal it Malfoy! Move your hand!" Hermione insisted. He reluctantly obeyed with his eyes tightly shut in pain.

"Episkey," Hermione murmured gently, healing the wound. Draco laid back slightly as all that remained was a tiny pink scar, but the pain of the venom remained. The mood began to calm, as they both took deep breaths while lying back on the dirt and leaves.

"Will that stop the venom?" Draco asked, talking about the healing spell.

"Yes, but it will take a few hours at least. We can't apparate again until the venom is out of your system," Hermione answered as she put her wand away.

"How on earth do you know that?" asked Draco curiously.

"I listen in Potions class. Snape has been teaching us all about poisons and venoms since our first year, Malfoy," said Hermione in exasperation.

"Whatever," muttered Draco, not wanting to listen to her know-it-all attitude.

He turned away and began thinking of Bellatrix. It was amazing how much he hated that witch. Now that he was finally free of Malfoy Manor, he could think freely without fear of Voldemort using Legilimency on him. Originally Bellatrix was his favourite aunt because she encouraged him to become a Death Eater, and in front of the others she stood up for him. Initially he thought it was an honour, a privilege to become the youngest Death Eater. And it was thanks to Bellatrix. But ever since the Dumbledore mission, it all went downhill. Bellatrix said that he should be proud despite how scared he was. His mother only wanted him to be safe, and urged him to let Snape do the job instead. But Draco was determined to complete the mission. All his life he was second best compared to Potter. Potter was the best Seeker, Potter had all the fame, Potter was the 'Chosen One'. And when Draco was given the mission to kill Dumbledore, he felt as though he was the 'Chosen One' amongst the Death Eaters. He felt like he had a chance to prove himself.

Looking back on it now, he cursed himself in hindsight. How wrong and naive could he have been? As the sixth year progressed he began to think it was impossible, but the constant reminder from Voldemort was always in the back of his mind. If he failed, his family would be killed. He had no choice and he began to realise that he desperately didn't know what he'd signed up for. The stress, fear and enormity of the task crashed down on his shoulders. It was beyond depressing. Even Potter had noticed something was different that year. And it all came back to Bellatrix: she wouldn't have cared if Draco had died. As long as Dumbledore died and Voldemort was pleased, no-one else mattered to her.

"I hate Bellatrix," Draco said aloud, after a few minutes of thinking about all this. He'd never said that, and he liked the sudden freedom to speak his mind.

"So do I. I never, never want to go back to that place again. I can't believe she killed Dobby, after he saved us!" said Hermione, devastated.

Us. The word sounded so odd to Draco coming from Hermione Granger, he even glanced over at her curiously. But to his surprise and complete confusion, she was crying.

"What could you possibly be crying about?" asked Draco in bewilderment. Hermione wiped her eyes and sniffed.

"Dobby shouldn't have died that way," she said quietly.

"He was just a house elf Granger, you can buy another one," Draco snorted in amusement.

"House-elves have feelings and emotions too, Malfoy. They're not just animals to be bought and sold!" said Hermione angrily, as more tears rolled down her cheek. Draco remembered her whole 'S.P.E.W' thing, and her weird love of house-elves from when they were little. It seemed that she still liked house-elves a little too much, yet at the same time he felt like an idiot for what he'd said. Dobby sacrificed himself to save Hermione, of his own free will. That sort of loyalty couldn't be bought with galleons. Draco watched Hermione wipe her tears and looked away, deciding to remain silent.

As they sat and rested he couldn't help but admit to himself how glad he was to have her around. Sure, if she'd never been captured absolutely none of this would have happened. Technically, it was her fault that he was locked up and forced to escape. But would he rather be a Death Eater, still stuck in Malfoy Manor with Bellatrix and Voldemort? Was that better than being in a random forest with a girl on the opposite side of the war? He had a sense of newfound freedom he hadn't felt in years. As soon as he ended up in the Order's hands however, he knew they'd lock him in a cellar of their own. He was still unsure about going to the Order with her, but regardless, he couldn't apparate. Hermione had stopped crying and was wiping her eyes, so Draco changed the subject.

"Why on earth are we in a forest? I was thinking of Diagon Alley," said Draco in confusion.

"I was thinking of home," Hermione said with a blush of embarrassment.

"Great work mudblood," Draco muttered in frustration.

"Diagon Alley is probably swarming with Death Eaters anyway. You should have just let me think of the place," Hermione said bossily as she stood up.

"The Death Eaters would have found us at your filthy muggle home just as easily," Draco countered.

"My muggle home is not filthy, it's actually quite nice, my parents are dentists," said Hermione proudly.

"They're what?" asked Draco in confusion, "what the hell is a dentist?"

"Oh, it's a muggle job," laughed Hermione, remembering that he wouldn't have any idea what muggle jobs were like. It amazed her how different they really were, how they'd come from completely different backgrounds. Draco shook his head, and decided to ignore all conversation involving muggles.

"Where exactly are we going to sleep?" he demanded. They both noticed that the sun had almost completely gone down and it was already beginning to get dark. Hermione shrugged, waving her arms around them, looking at the plants, trees and leaves. Draco raised an eyebrow coldly.

"I'm not sleeping in dirt," he said in disgust.

"Why? Is it too mudblood-like for you?" Hermione asked crossly.

"Yeah, it is," Draco sneered.

"Well you don't have much choice. You're lucky, at least you have a cloak and long pants. I'm going to be freezing," said Hermione as she looked down at her ripped and torn clothes.

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At The Burrow the four people who arrived - Ollivander, Luna, Dean and Griphook - were taken care of, each telling their own story of how they came to be in the cellar. Ollivander had been kidnapped two years earlier by Death Eaters and forced to help Voldemort with wands ever since. Luna had been taken prisoner by Death Eaters, in an attempt to force her father to capture Harry Potter. Dean and Griphook had been captured the same way Hermione had, by snatchers. Harry, Ron, Hagrid, Lupin and Mr Weasley waited in the room where Dobby had disapparated from. The mood was tense and impatient. No one said a word. Where was Dobby? He got those four so fast, and now no Hermione?

"She's getting the wands and sword back," said Harry aloud.

"I think so too," Lupin agreed with a firm nod.

"Shouldn't take too long, they'll be here any minute," Harry continued. But the minutes ticked by painfully. Mrs Weasley returned, with Luna who was excited to see Hermione again. But the expected Dobby and Hermione didn't return, and the minutes slowly stretched into hours.

"They have to be dead, if they're not here, where else could they be?" Ron said at last, his face pale and his eyes empty of all hope.

"Don't talk like that Ron!" Mrs Weasley hissed. But they were all thinking the same thing. If they didn't return, where else could they be?

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	6. Chapter 6

Night had fallen and the two escapees were walking deeper into the forest, away from where they had arrived. The first thing they instantly began to realise was the cold. Wherever this forest was, the climate was freezing. The full moon was their only light source, it's silver moonlight streaming down on them through the forest canopy and guiding their uncertain path in the darkness. They found an area where the trees grew huge, thick and tall, and Hermione quickly began looking for firewood. The plan was to find a place where they'd be hard to find with plenty of tree cover. Their breaths came out as mist on the chilling night air. Draco sat down, leaned against a tree and huddled up for warmth while Hermione built the fire. He put the sword of Gryffindor beside him and clutched his arm in pain.

"How's your arm?" Hermione asked curiously. Her voice shook slightly as she shivered from the cold.

"It's burning," he responded dejectedly. Mist swirled around them both from their fast breaths.

"It's the venom. Like I said, it will take a few hours for the magic to kill all the venom in your body," said Hermione. She decided to ignore the fact that he wasn't helping, since he was in pain. Her shivering was getting worse and it felt as if the cold was biting into her skin. After a minute or two she'd finally put enough small sticks and bark into a pile.

"Incendio!" she hissed, igniting the pile into a warm fire. She then jumped down beside it, warming her hands and body. Draco moved away from his tree to get closer, on the opposite side of the fire. He was beginning to shake as well, even with the cloak. Minutes passed in silence, but the fire just wasn't big enough to warm them both. Hermione's shivering got worse, to the point where she couldn't stop. Draco noticed this, watching from across the fire with a slightly worried expression.

"It's s-so c-cold," Hermione shivered, her breath forming a cloud of mist around her.

"I know," Draco replied shortly, saving his breath. He was much warmer as the large cloak trapped the heat like a blanket around him. Hermione's bare skin on her stomach and legs was ice cold. She looked at the cloak longingly. Nearly twenty minutes had passed in silence, and Hermione was getting colder and colder as the time went by. Finally, she could no longer stand it.

"M-Malfoy, the c-cloak is b-big enough for t-two p-people," said Hermione, struggling to pronounce the words because of her shaking voice and chattering teeth. As she was saying this, to make matters worse, it began to rain.

"You're n-not s-serious?" Draco said, but he knew she was right. The rain made her ripped clothes soaked, and the fire went out. She was going to freeze to death if she stayed that way. She considered using a hot-air charm with her wand, but it wouldn't stop the rain and it couldn't cover her whole body like a cloak. Draco moved backwards under the tree and leaned against the thick trunk. Left alone in the rain, Hermione had no other choice: she hurriedly crawled over as well. They both sat against the same massive tree, avoiding most of the rain. But Hermione's clothes were so soaked that she would've been warmer without them on. Her lips had turned blue and she was looking at the cloak desperately.

"M-Malfoy p-please," she shivered. Draco sighed. Reluctantly he raised the cloak for her. Hermione moved underneath it, shakily wrapping her arms around him with her head on his chest. Draco cursed aloud, she was cold as ice.

"D-damn it y-you're s-so c-cold," he said shakily, wrapping the cloak around them both. Minutes ticked past and the rain began to poor down harder than ever. The tree managed to block most of the rain so that it only dripped down on them. The wind was like an icy whip, but the thick black cloak protected them. Any thought of them being enemies seemed to vanish as Hermione cuddled closer to get warm. Draco awkwardly put his arms around her shoulders, because there was no where else to put them. She stiffened when he touched her, but didn't move. She was the one hugging him, after all. As time went by, it began to work: their body heat warmed them both, and after an hour the shaking had stopped. Draco couldn't help but admit that it felt nice being this close to her. It felt nice to be warm and relatively safe for a change. The rain had tamed her bushy hair, making it long and wavy. She had her eyes closed and he could just see her face, leaning against his chest. He'd never noticed at Hogwarts, but she was actually kind of...

He shook his head. What on earth was he thinking? He considered pushing her off of him. They were warm now, and that was the whole point, right? But on closer inspection of her face, he realised that she had fallen asleep. Her breathing was in a deep, steady rhythm.

"Bloody hell," Draco muttered to himself. With a sigh, he left her to sleep and closed his eyes too.

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The next morning, Draco woke up first. He looked down and noticed that Hermione was still asleep and securely attached to him. Underneath the cloak was hot and stuffy, so he pried it off of himself slightly. Cool wind brushed against his body and he realised that it was late morning. A perfect morning too: no rain, no hurricane-like wind, no chilling air. The sun shined brightly through the tree's branches onto them, filling the area with colours of green and yellow. He pushed the cloak completely off of him, and looked at Hermione again. How was he going to wake her up? He laid there, wondering what to do for a few minutes. She looked so peaceful. Then, finally, he sighed and tapped her shoulder.

"Granger," he muttered, "Granger, wake up." She was fast asleep however, and he could feel her chest rising and falling against his side. He then awkwardly held her shoulder, pushing it back and forth.

"Mudblood, wake up," he said again, louder this time. Her eyes fluttered open, as she breathed in deeply and lifted her head.

"W-what?" said Hermione drowsily, unsure of where she was.

"Get up. It's morning," said Draco impatiently. She looked up at him, then down and realised that she was holding onto him and that she had fallen asleep that way. She gasped and let go, blushing bright red in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry! It was freezing and I must have..." she began, trailing off.

"Fallen asleep on me?" Draco finished for her, getting up and stretching.

"I'm so embarrassed. Don't tell anyone," Hermione said as she also stood up. Her neck was sore from the position she'd fallen asleep in.

"I'm embarrassed too, a mudblood was lying on me all night," replied Draco, inspecting the arm that had been bitten. All that remained was a pink scar and he felt fine. Hermione glared at him silently.

"I bet you liked it," Draco snickered, unable to stop himself. Hermione rolled her eyes, she knew he was going to say something like that.

"It was an accident. Besides, who knows what you did to me when I was unconscious," said Hermione accusingly, brushing her arms and stomach as she walked away.

"Oh, I did all kinds of things," Draco said nonchalantly.

"Yuck. I feel dirty," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"So do I," agreed Draco. Hermione knew it was harmless bickering, they'd been doing it constantly since being in the cellar together.

"You're so immature, honestly," she went on, as she walked over and kicked dirt and leaves over the ashes of the fire to ensure that no-one knew they'd been there. She noticed Draco feeling in his pockets for something, with an odd expression on his face. Then he saw the sword next to the tree, and remembered that Hermione was the one who had gotten the wands. He looked towards her, and there was a long silence. She knew what he was thinking.

"My wand, Granger. Give me my wand," said Draco, his tone of voice changing from lighthearted to serious. Hermione bit her lip nervously.

"How can I trust you?" she asked, taking a step back.

"What am I going to do with it? Just give me my wand!" he insisted, holding his hand out impatiently.

"What are you going to do with it?" Hermione asked with her hand in her pocket. Draco sighed, not knowing what to say.

"I won't do anything with it! It's mine and I'd feel safer if I had it," he said firmly.

"To be honest, Malfoy, I feel safer if you don't have it," Hermione said worriedly. He rolled his eyes in frustration.

"You're being ridiculous. If I wanted to hurt you, I would've done it while you were asleep! I'm not an idiot, Granger, now give me my wand!" he demanded, holding his hand out expectantly. Hermione took a deep breath, pulling out both wands. She held her own in her right hand, at the ready. And Draco's in her left hand.

"I'm trusting you, Malfoy. I'm trusting you, and please just promise that you won't try anything funny," said Hermione as she walked towards him. Draco rolled his eyes at her cautiousness.

"I promise," he said clearly with his hand still outstretched. The tension was unbelievable. Chocolate brown eyes were staring into steel grey. She slowly put his wand in his hand and stepped back, her own wand at the ready. There was another silence. If either one of them made a sudden movement, the other would attack. They watched each other hesitantly.

"We have serious trust issues, Granger," said Draco slowly, breaking the silence, "I'm going to put my wand in my pocket, nice and slowly."

He did as he said he would, and when it was in his pocket, he raised his hands. Hermione relaxed, only just realising that she was holding her breath. There was another pause as they both relaxed somewhat.

"I just don't ever want to go back to that place again. I thought that you'd turn on me or something, and take me back there and be rewarded for it," Hermione said nervously. She silently cursed herself for saying that aloud. She didn't want to give him any ideas.

"The Dark Lord never forgives anyone, I can't go back there. That doesn't mean I want to be anywhere near your people either," Draco muttered, sitting on the ground with a frustrated sigh. Hermione watched him sympathetically, wondering to herself how the tables had turned. A few years ago and he was the ridiculously rich and privileged pureblood, who strutted the Hogwarts halls like he owned them. With his fathers influence in the school, he practically did. Now he had absolutely nothing.

"So, you're stuck in the middle of the war and don't know what side to choose," Hermione said carefully, sitting down as well.

"You could say that," Draco answered. It wasn't entirely correct, he knew what side he wanted to be on. He wanted to be on the side with his parents, on the side where he was safe. But due to the circumstances, that wonderful side didn't exist. It never had existed, because he had never been safe on Voldemort's side. In a way, it was his father's fault for joining Voldemort, because now they were separated and his parents were in danger. The only 'side' left was with Hermione and the Order. That was the only place he could be safe. Maybe Dumbledore was right all along, he'd said he could hide Draco and his family and keep them safe with the Order. Maybe this was his chance to take that opportunity? After the war, somehow, he could get his parents back.

"Well, in the cellar you said you'd come with me. You've already decided," said Hermione with a gentle smile. She was right, that was the only option he had.

"How can I trust them though? They'll probably lock me up and if the Dark Lord wins the war, he'll kill me. If the Order wins, I'll be sent to Azkaban. No matter what way you look at it Granger, I'm fucked," said Draco as he looked her in the eyes. While saying this, he was reeling with discomfort and guilt. He was remembering all of the times he'd insulted her and put her down. In Potions if Snape paired them up, Draco would never help out and make her do all the work. He relished in making her life miserable at school. And yet here she was, straight up wanting to help him. Did he even deserve it?

"The Order aren't like that, Malfoy, trust me. Harry and Ron will probably want to lock you up, but I won't let them," Hermione promised firmly. She stood up and walked over to get the sword of Gryffindor. Then she returned and offered him her hand.

\----------

They disapparated from the forest, and Hermione thought about the hill beside The Burrow. Since the Order's headquarters was probably protected by enchantments, she couldn't apparate directly into it like Dobby could. They arrived on the giant hill and Hermione could see nothing in front of her, but she knew the giant slanting house was there. The protective enchantments simply made it invisible to outsiders. She grinned and began walking down the hill. It was midday, and the sun was blazing down on them from the cloudless sky. She finally felt safe. She was almost home.

"There's nothing there, Granger," Draco called as he followed her.

"It's protected by enchantments to make it invisible. It's there," she assured, looking at him over her shoulder. It took them a while to reach the bottom of the hill. As they drew nearer where The Burrow was meant to be, the enchantments were lifted and the giant house loomed before them. Draco whistled, impressed by how high it was. Hermione turned around and smiled at him as he took in the details. He smirked when he saw that it was tilted. Clearly it was held up by magic, because the Weasley's couldn't afford to fix the architectural issues. Before either of them could talk however, Harry, Ron and Lupin ran out of the house towards them.

"Hermione, are you okay? What did he do to you?" said Ron furiously, glaring at Draco.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted Lupin, disarming Draco before he could even put his hand in his pocket. The wand flew from its hiding place and into Lupin's hand. Draco was left defenceless and there was no turning back now. All he could do was rely on Hermione to explain things and protect him.

"I'm fine Ron, calm down," Hermione said, unsettled at seeing them so urgent.

"What are you doing here!" demanded Lupin with his wand pointed at Draco, who raised his hands in surrender.

"Remus, stop! He's with me," said Hermione in alarm, walking forwards in between everyone.

"What on earth do you mean Hermione? He's a Death Eater! All he has to do is press his Dark Mark and this place will be revealed. Keep your hand away from your arm or I'll stun you!" Lupin shouted, his wand unwavering. Hermione didn't think of that and she turned to Draco, wondering whether he'd played along with her to sabotage the Order. But he was standing in surrender, looking quite alarmed. He made no move to press the Dark Mark, if he even had one. Hermione had never seen it and it struck her with curiosity.

"We escaped Malfoy Manor together, I know I have some explaining to do," Hermione said quickly, but she was interrupted.

"What magical object did you use in your third year to save Buckbeak?" asked Lupin, his wand now pointing directly at Hermione.

"A Time-Turner! Honestly Remus, this is ridiculous!" Hermione gasped, taking a step backwards.

"We have to be sure you're not in disguise, Hermione, I hope you understand. Please, come inside. Malfoy, I'd like a word and an explanation," Lupin said, his wand pointing at Draco once more.

"I'll give the explanation inside Remus, if you don't mind," Hermione said, feeling determined. She felt responsible for Draco's safety after convincing him that the Order wouldn't harm him. Lupin glanced at her and then nodded.

"Fine, everyone inside. Keep your hands where I can see them Malfoy," he ordered, his wand locked on Draco the entire time. Everyone walked in, Harry and Ron hugging Hermione tightly and demanding to know what on earth happened, how she was, how she escaped, where Dobby was, and what Draco was doing with her. Hagrid also gave her a rib-cracking hug, his eyes filled with tears of relief at seeing her alive. Hermione was overwhelmed with welcomes and happiness, but she ignored the questions and waited until she could explain everything in full. They all got to the meeting room, and Draco was ordered to stand against the wall with multiple wands pointed at him. Hermione gave him a sympathetic look as he glared at her.

'This is your fault,' his cold eyes were saying.

"Come on Hermione, we've been waiting for days, what happened?" Harry asked urgently, after everyone had welcomed her back and settled down. Hermione launched into her story: starting with being captured and tortured by Bellatrix until she had to tell the truth. Gryffindor's sword being taken, her being locked in the cellar as a prisoner and meeting the other prisoners. She noticed that Luna and Ollivander were in the room and they both looked far healthier than they had in the cellar. She continued, explaining how Voldemort used Legilimency on her. Some Order members looked alarmed, realising that the headquarters might not be safe, but their enchantments were still protecting the headquarters regardless of whether Voldemort knew its whereabouts. Harry and Ron looked shocked and had urgent questions in their eyes, no doubt about the horcruxes. But Hermione couldn't answer that in front of everyone. Then she continued, detailing how Draco was ordered to kill her but he couldn't do it, and that he was locked in the cellar with them as punishment.

"When Dobby arrived, I told him to take the other prisoners first. When he came back I said that we had to get our wands and the sword before leaving. Malfoy knew where they were, and he helped us get them back... but," Hermione stopped, not knowing how to say what was next.

"Where's Dobby now?" asked Harry with a frown.

"He's dead, Harry. Bellatrix tried to kill me, but Dobby jumped in front of the spell. I'm so sorry," she said, feeling awful as she observed Harry's devastated expression. She knew how much he liked Dobby, and she knew that he wasn't going to take this lightly at all. Mr Weasley urged her to continue.

"Malfoy and I disapparated just in time, but he was thinking of Diagon Alley and I was thinking of home, so we ended up lost in between. Malfoy had been bitten by a snake that Bellatrix had summoned, so it took a few hours to recover and we couldn't apparate again," Hermione explained, but Ron interrupted her.

"You mean he couldn't apparate. You still could, right?" Ron said with a frown.

"I wasn't going to leave him there Ron, we escaped together. So we stayed there the night, and here we are now," Hermione finished, leaving out the part where she had fallen asleep hugging him, underneath the same cloak.

"So instead of just leaving the wands and sword, you let Dobby die and come back with a Death Eater?" said Harry furiously. Even though he'd been worried for days and he was overwhelmed with relief that she was alive... Dobby died and she came back with Draco Malfoy, of all people, one of their worst enemies.

"I didn't let Dobby die Harry, how dare you say that!" Hermione said, outraged.

"Was his life worth your wand and the sword?" Harry snapped back before he could stop himself. After he said them and saw her hurt expression, he immediately regretted it.

"You should be glad she's alive," said Hagrid in surprise, frowning down at Harry.

"Sorry. I need a minute," Harry muttered as he left the room. Hermione felt embarrassed and hurt as she watched him leave. A tense silence followed as everyone thought about what had happened. Hermione's initial feelings of happiness and welcoming were left shattered. She knew how much Harry liked Dobby, and perhaps she had acted recklessly in her attempt to bring back the sword, but to accuse her of letting him die was going too far. And the sword was currently their only available method of destroying the remaining horcruxes.

"You realise now, how you risked the lives of everyone in the Order by leading the Death Eater here?" asked Mr Weasley, gazing at her in disappointment. Hermione nodded, admitting to herself that she hadn't actually thought of this beforehand. Draco was still labelled a Death Eater and he was still dangerous. And yet she'd helped him and actually led him to the Order's headquarters, without thinking about the consequences at all.

"I'm not a Death Eater," spat Draco from the wall, having had enough of hearing that title.

"I find that hard to believe," Lupin responded wearily.

"No, he's right. Like I said, he was thrown into the cellar as well and he helped me escape with our wands and the sword," said Hermione, glancing towards Draco who nodded slightly. There was silence as Mr Weasley and the other Order members looked at Draco, wondering what to do with him. They could send him away, but if he was telling the truth, he wouldn't have anywhere else to go. He would be an outcast, just like Harry.

"That could have easily been a ploy, Hermione. Who knows what You-Know-Who is up to. Regardless of his intentions, this place is in danger because of his Dark Mark," said Mr Weasley firmly.

"If I get caught out there, or go back to You-Know-Who, he'll kill me," said Draco.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" demanded Lupin.

"There will be Wanted posters of him put up everywhere, beside Harry's, Ron's and mine. That'll be proof enough that he isn't with them anymore," said Hermione quickly. After much deliberation between all of the Order members, it was eventually decided that they would allow Malfoy to stay, under close watch. He wouldn't get his wand and remain in a bedroom with extra enchantment protections than the rest of The Burrow, with practically everyone keeping an eye on him when he leaves the room. It was good enough for Hermione, and better than what Draco had expected. He was escorted to the third floor and left in the room after it had all been decided. Downstairs in the meeting room, Hermione continued describing how the Death Eaters worked and Malfoy Manor to Mr Weasley and Lupin, in greater detail. All the information would help them with the war. Once she'd finished talking about what happened at the Malfoy Manor, Ron came up and hugged her again.

"Ignore Harry, he didn't mean what he said. You have no idea how worried we've been, we've barely slept for days waiting up for you. You know how Harry gets. Dobby was his house elf and he hates Malfoy more than anything," explained Ron quickly, his expression filled with relief at seeing her again.

"Thanks Ron, you have no idea how glad I am to be back!" said Hermione with joy as she hugged him. She considered what he'd said about Harry, and grudgingly knew that he was right. Harry had been on enormous pressure, for as long as they could remember. Losing Dumbledore, being on the run, the arguments over the horcruxes, having to wear the Locket, having no food, Ron leaving... everything put a strain on him. Perhaps losing Dobby was the final straw. Regardless, she still felt that what he'd said crossed a line and warranted an apology. She loved Dobby as much as he did. Before she could think about it any longer, Mrs Weasley approached.

"Come here dear, you need a hot shower and some new clothes, you're a mess!"

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	7. Chapter 7

Hermione was relieved and happy, at last back in a familiar place with familiar people. After she'd had a shower and gotten into new clothes, she went downstairs and Mrs Weasley gave her lunch. While she was eating, Mrs Weasley commented in concern about how thin she had become. It reminded her of how little they'd eaten while they were on the run, as well as how little she ate at the Manor, and she was suddenly self conscious. While they were on the run they had ran out of food and were living off things as lowly as wild mushrooms. That was one of the reasons Ron had left, because they didn't have enough food. It made her annoyance towards Harry and Ron increase drastically. They had always complained about food while she was eating even less. And now after being starved at Malfoy Manor, even Mrs Weasley could tell that she had drastically lost weight. Eventually Mrs Weasley left the kitchen to do other things, and Harry and Ron slipped in quietly. Hermione glared at Harry slightly, making it clear that she wasn't going to talk until he apologised. Ron seemed to be nudging Harry and nodding towards her, as if to say, 'get it over with!'. Harry took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry for overreacting earlier Hermione, it wasn't your fault that Dobby died. And I'm glad you're back, you've no idea how worried I've been," he said sincerely. Ron nodded in agreement with Harry. There was silence, as Hermione eventually smiled. At Malfoy Manor she wondered whether she would ever see them again, and she was more than willing to forgive what he'd said. Hermione got up and hugged them both tightly, to Harry's surprise.

"I'm so happy to be back!" she said merrily before she sat down and continued eating. Taking that as an apology accepted, Harry and Ron quickly sat down at the table too. They checked to make sure no one was listening. Since Hermione had arrived, they hadn't had the opportunity to talk about what really happened to her at Malfoy Manor.

"What did Malfoy do to you? Should we go up to his room and hex him?" asked Harry instantly, a fierce gleam in his eyes.

"Don't, Harry. To be honest, he is less of a git than he used to be, and he did help me get my wand and the sword back," Hermione admitted honestly. The two boys still looked suspicious however. In their eyes, Hermione was incredibly thin, she had mentioned being tortured, and they hadn't seen her in days. Who knows how much she'd suffered at Malfoy Manor? They had talked to Ollivander and gotten lots of information on what it was like in the cellar. Learning that Malfoy and Wormtail were the ones who fed the prisoners, it only made them more suspicious that Malfoy had starved Hermione on purpose.

"Should we lock him in his room and starve him? I bet he deserves it Hermione, look how skinny you are!" said Ron in exasperation. Hermione glared at him, once again feeling self conscious about her appearance.

"I'm not skinny, Ron! It was Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters who prepared the scrappy food. Malfoy just had to give it to us. I don't want to talk about food anymore, it's making me uncomfortable," said Hermione irritably, putting her fork down and folding her arms. Harry rolled his eyes at Ron, before asking the most important question.

"So, You-Know-Who used Legilimency on you? Did he find out about the...?" asked Harry, trailing off. Hermione knew what he meant, and nodded.

"He knows. He was furious, because he didn't believe anyone would find out," she said grimly.

"It's going to make it so much harder to find them, if he protects them from us," Harry groaned, running his hands through his messy black hair. Only then did Hermione really notice the black bags under his eyes. He looked utterly exhausted. Likely from lack of sleep, wondering whether Hermione was okay, and trying to figure out where the rest of the horcruxes were. Ron looked tired also, but he seemed more concerned about Hermione's well being than anything else.

"Are they scars on your cheek? Was that what Bellatrix did? When this is over I'm going to kill her," Ron was saying angrily when he saw the scars that Draco had healed. Hermione smiled slightly, even though she didn't approve of their desire for revenge and murder, she still appreciated the fact that they were worried. She was at last back in a familiar and comfortable place. Although, it wasn't safe at all. There was still a possibility that The Burrow was being watched, and Death Eaters could arrive at any time.

"I don't want to talk about the torture either. It's over Ron, lets focus on horcruxes and what we're going to do next," said Hermione firmly.

"Well, we've got the sword. We can use that to destroy them," Ron shrugged.

"I think we should worry about finding them first," said Hermione gloomily. There was silence as they all thought the same thing: where on earth were the horcruxes? So far, they knew that Hufflepuff's cup and Ravenclaw's diadem remained, and other unknown objects. Where they were was a complete mystery. They were back to where they started, sitting around thinking, but getting nowhere.

"We'll just have to find them and destroy them one at a time. Start with the cup or diadem," Harry said thoughtfully.

"Bellatrix said Gryffindor's sword was in her Gringott's vault... perhaps a horcrux is there?" suggested Ron, but Hermione shook her head.

"You-Know-Who knows, though. Griphook said the sword was a fake, but I have a feeling that You-Know-Who knows it's the real one. The vault can't be safe if the sword was stolen, so he won't leave a horcrux there," Hermione said, leaving them feeling hopeless again. No one spoke, so Hermione went back to her lunch while the other two continued thinking.

"If he knows we're destroying them, maybe he's going to keep the last horcruxes on him at all times? We should just get the Elder Wand, find him, kill him, then destroy his horcruxes after," Ron suggested, getting a grin from Harry.

"Don't start this again. We should be looking for the horcruxes, not the Elder Wand," said Hermione, pointing her fork at Ron with a frown.

"But we don't even know where the horcruxes are, Hermione! If we found out where the wand was, don't you think we should get it?" said Harry exasperatedly.

"Even if you found it Harry, you wouldn't be able to use it. Remember, you have to defeat the last owner to actually possess its power, that is, if it's even real," Hermione snorted, still not believing that the wand existed. Harry and Ron looked at each other with another grin. Hermione had a feeling that they knew something she didn't.

"We've already spoken to Ollivander," said Ron smugly. Her eyes widened in realisation.

"Really? What did he say?" Hermione demanded.

"He was certain that the Elder Wand exists, and he told us that You-Know-Who was asking about it, he was looking for it. Ollivander told us everything about its history, and it all makes sense. A wizard called Gregorovich said it was stolen from him, and it was Grindelwald who stole it. We're certain now, that Grindelwald used the wand to get so powerful, and Dumbledore duelled him, remember? Dumbledore defeated him, that means Dumbledore was the last to have the wand," Harry finished in excitement, looking to her for answers. Hermione was overwhelmed by the sudden influx of new information.

"Dumbledore is dead, Harry... so who has the power of the Elder Wand now? Where is it?" she asked anxiously, despite her disapproval. Maybe they were right - why search for horcruxes if they haven't got a clue where any are? The Elder Wand seemed like a much easier thing to find, especially if Dumbledore had it last. Although, she still had a nagging feeling that maybe they ought to stick with Dumbledore's mission. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the Deathstick... perhaps they should avoid it. As rumours said, the wand leaves blood splattered across the pages of history. All previous owners were met with misfortune. Having the wand would make them powerful, but wouldn't it also be a curse?

"Snape killed Dumbledore, but the wand is still with Dumbledore, in his grave. You-Know-Who was looking for it, but he's changed plans. I had another vision, he was torturing Bellatrix and demanding to know where Hufflepuff's cup was. He's concentrating on his horcruxes now. He's only immortal as long as his horcruxes survive, after all. Ron might be right, You-Know-Who could be keeping the last horcruxes with him," said Harry with a sense of relief. Hermione was starting to understand Harry's thinking. The Elder Wand gives them an advantage in a confrontation, assuming they can wield it; the horcruxes would be easy to find, if Voldemort kept them on his person. There was still a lot they didn't know, though.

"But we're back to where we started Harry, if Snape defeated Dumbledore, it won't matter if you have the wand. You won't have its power, it will just be like any other wand," said Hermione with a frustrated sigh.

"Looking for wands, are we," Draco snickered from the entrance to the kitchen. All three of them jumped in surprise and turned to look at him.

"You greasy little ferret, how long were you listening?" demanded Ron in a hushed tone. Draco walked into the kitchen, putting on his superior act. He moved around the kitchen as though he owned everything, to Ron's immense frustration.

"A little bit about an Elder Wand, Snape defeating Dumbledore... though, it wasn't much of a defeat. All Snape did was walk in and finish him off," said Draco as he poured himself a glass of water. Harry swore under his breath, Ron glared at Draco furiously, and Hermione frowned slightly.

"We've got to kill him. He knows about the mission," Ron hissed quietly, searching for his wand. Draco raised an eyebrow and took a step towards the kitchen knives.

"Watch it, Weasel," he said coldly.

"Don't be ridiculous Ron, we're not killing anyone! I think I have an idea," said Hermione, pushing her chair back and looking at Draco. He was gripping a razer sharp butcher knife at the ready, glaring across the kitchen towards Ron.

"Oh put the knife down. And Ron don't even think about getting your wand out. All of you come with me, we need somewhere more quiet," Hermione ordered. Draco was about to sneer something like 'you can't tell me what to do!'. But Harry and Ron were already following her out of the kitchen, and his curiosity got the better of him. Talk of a powerful wand had intrigued him.

\----------

They all left the house and walked over to the garden fence outside, easily out of hearing-range from the rest of the Order. Harry pulled Hermione away from Draco, whispering in her ear.

"We can't trust him, Hermione. Ron's right, we have to shut him up somehow," he was whispering.

"Harry, I know this sounds crazy, but he is not on You-Know-Who's side," Hermione argued quietly.

"That's beside the point! Say we trust him and tell him everything, how on earth will he help us? He doesn't give a damn about us, he only came here to hide like the coward he is," Harry hissed furiously.

"Actually Potter, for the past two years I've been forced to do things you couldn't even imagine," Draco growled, after overhearing the coward part and losing his patience. Harry turned and glared at his old school nemesis, preparing to say what he'd been wanting to say since their sixth year.

"What, like letting Death Eaters into a school of innocent kids, and crying in front of Dumbledore because you couldn't kill him?" he snarled aggressively.

"Shut up Potter, I'll kill you with or without my fucking wand," Draco spat, taking a step towards him furiously. Ron got between them and pushed Draco, and all of a sudden punches were being thrown. Harry joined in, and Hermione attempted to get in the middle and stop them but it was useless. The fight went on for a few seconds before she could draw her wand to stop it.

"Relashio!" she screamed, her wand pointed at Draco. The power of the spell launched Harry and Ron off of him, and they fell roughly to the ground.

"I'm going to stun the next person who throws a punch!" Hermione shouted, her wand still pointing at Draco. He had a split open lip and torn shirt, and he looked murderous.

"He got what he deserved," Harry panted.

"No he didn't Harry, you provoked him," said Hermione, grabbing Draco's shirt and pulling him away from them. Once she'd walked far enough, she stopped and turned to look at him.

"Tell me what Harry meant," said Hermione, looking him in the eye. She knew he wouldn't want to talk about it, but it could be important. "About you and Dumbledore."

"I'm not telling you anything," Draco said coldly, wincing as he touched his bleeding lip.

"It's either you tell me, or Harry tells me. And do you want your lip healed or not?" asked Hermione, waving her wand in front of him. Draco glared at her.

"Fine. Last year the Dark Lord told me to kill Dumbledore, and he said if I didn't do it, he'd kill me and my parents. I had no choice. On the Astronomy tower I had Dumbledore cornered, defeated, all I had to do was say the spell but I couldn't do it. He said he could help me. Then Snape came in and finished him," he said all of this quickly with his arms crossed. He hadn't told many people this before, because who was there to tell? His parents already knew, but they couldn't do anything. He hadn't told any other Slytherin what he was doing in his sixth year, in fact, he hadn't told anyone at all. The Death Eaters and Harry were the only ones who knew what had happened on the tower that night, as they were the only witnesses.

"And you were crying...?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Why does that matter? Bloody hell Granger!" Draco blew up in anger, making her flinch.

"I wanted to know because Harry said that to provoke you, Malfoy!" said Hermione quickly.

"Well it worked, didn't it," he replied, clearly embarrassed at them knowing how he'd broken down in tears in front of Dumbledore. He saw Harry and Ron laughing in the distance, and turned to walk away. He wished he had his wand, he imagined himself using Sectumsempra on Ron and Harry, just as Harry had used it on him back in their sixth year. They had no idea what he went through last year, how could they accuse him of being the coward? It was a 'do or die' situation. Just like Harry had been trained to obey Dumbledore's every order, Draco was trained to obey Voldemort's every order, by fear of severe punishment or death. Seeing the two self-righteous assholes laughing at his moment of weakness humiliated him to no end. Somehow, it was even more embarrassing with Hermione there. He couldn't figure out why, but he didn't want to be seen as weak in front of her.

"Malfoy stop! Listen to me, just ignore them," Hermione insisted, reaching for his arm.

"Six years of hatred can't be ignored, Granger. Just seeing their faces pisses me off, and Potter's right, I don't want to help you on some suicidal mission, because the Dark Lord can't be killed," said Draco firmly, making it very clear. He'd spent enough time around the immortal, all-powerful and wickedly evil wizard to know that he couldn't be killed. Without Dumbledore, there was no one else to match him.

"He can be killed, Malfoy. Dumbledore figured out how, and it might seem suicidal but it isn't. You can help us stop him, and end all of this. You can get your parents back, your life back," said Hermione earnestly, hoping that he would at least consider it. She had a theory that Draco might be the current owner of the Elder Wand. And if he was, it would be vitally important for him to help them.

"I'm listening," Draco said shortly.

"Horcruxes are a result of dark magic and it's possible to kill someone with the killing curse, and tear your soul, putting the other part of your soul into an object. So even if your body is destroyed, you still exist through your horcrux. That's how You-Know-Who came back after he died trying to kill Harry years ago," said Hermione, realising that she was revealing a very dark secret. But Voldemort already knew they were after his horcruxes, so there was no harm in telling Draco, so long as he didn't tell the Order. Too many people knowing could cause chaos. She had his attention, so she continued.

"You-Know-Who ripped his soul apart so many times, that he made seven horcruxes, seven being the most magical number. Three have been destroyed so far, and we're destroying the rest so that You-Know-Who can be killed. And the Elder Wand, you've probably already heard of it in history, is the most powerful wand in existence," explained Hermione, waiting to see what he thought. He was staring at her with a sense of awe, and looked rather overwhelmed. Draco found himself beginning to respect Dumbledore a lot more, though he still didn't know how any of this concerned him.

"And where do I come in? You three are 'the golden trio' and all that crap, you seem to have it under control," said Draco, giving Harry and Ron a glare of complete loathing.

"Tell me what happened with Dumbledore. He had the Elder Wand, Malfoy. Whoever defeated him has the power of the wand, it's either you or Snape, don't you see how important this is?" said Hermione excitedly. As she said this, he began to have an inkling of where it was heading.

"He was poisoned by something, weak and leaning against the wall... I arrived first and disarmed him, with Expelliarmus. He looked half dead, and we talked about my... options. Snape arrived after that, and Dumbledore said, 'Severus, please'. Then Snape killed him," Draco recounted slowly.

"Dumbledore was poisoned, by a potion and a cursed ring. You were the one who disarmed him, Malfoy, you were the one who took the wand. Technically you defeated him, and Snape killed him. The power of the wand would have to be yours," Hermione whispered in excitement. Draco took a deep breath.

"An unbeatable wand is great and all, but if you think I'm the one to kill the Dark Lord, forget it," he muttered, shaking his head. Hermione glared at him slightly.

"So you're just going to hide in your room?" she asked in disgust. Once again, he didn't want to look so weak in front of her. But what did she expect him to do? Be the knight in shining armour, grab some fabled wand and defeat the world's most powerful wizard of all time? No, that was Potter's courageous quest. Not his.

"Give Potter the bloody wand, he's the 'Chosen One', and to be honest I don't give a damn if he dies!" said Draco angrily.

"If this is true then only you can use the Elder Wand, people kill each other for such power! How can you ignore all of this? After all You-Know-Who has done to you, you would just walk away and let him take over the world?" Hermione asked, her voice filled with disappointment.

"I'm not a hero, Granger!" Draco shouted.

"I'm not asking you to be one! But at least help us, for the sake of your mum and dad!" said Hermione exasperatedly. That final sentence seemed to hit home, and the mention of his parents still at the mercy of Voldemort struck a cord within him. Ultimately, his parents were the only people he had left. He was a traitor to the Death Eaters, and since Crabbe and Goyle's fathers were both Death Eaters, he likely lost his two best friends as well. Any wealth the Malfoy's owned was gone due to the war. He was labelled a criminal and Death Eater to the rest of the wizarding world. Yes, if there was anything left worth living for, it would be saving his parents. There was a very long silence as he stood in contemplation. This decision was going to change things, for better or for worse. It felt almost like a leap of faith. He looked at Hermione and sighed heavily.

"Fine. Fine, but if Potter and Weasel get in my face, I swear to god," Draco growled.

"They won't, I'll make sure of that," Hermione promised.

"And I want my wand back," Draco demanded.

"Done. And after that, you will be willing to go to Hogwarts with us to take the Elder Wand, and find and destroy the horcruxes? And if necessary, use it to help us stop You-Know-Who by any means necessary?" she asked, making everything clear. Draco slowly nodded, a mix of determination and fear lingering in his grey eyes.

"Promise?" Hermione continued.

"I promise," Draco said impatiently.

"Hand shake on it," said Hermione, offering her hand.

"What on earth will that do?" Draco blurted out.

"It's a muggle way of confirming an agreement," said Hermione with a smile. His eyes narrowed as he noticed her obvious joy and amusement in trying to make him act like a muggle.

"I'm not a filthy muggle," he snapped.

"Malfoy, shake!" Hermione insisted. He sighed and grabbed her hand, squeezing it until she gasped in pain and then shaking it roughly.

"Happy?" Draco sneered. Hermione pulled with all her strength until he finally let go of her hand.

"Yes, you're becoming more a muggle every day," she said with a wink.

"You're right, your muggle influences are affecting my purity," Draco said sarcastically. Hermione smiled slightly, in a much better mood since he had agreed to help them. Although she knew that the chance of Draco duelling Voldemort was next to nothing, at least Voldemort wouldn't get a hold of the Elder Wand. And with some work, Draco might be willing to fight with them. Having a fourth companion would have its advantages, especially a fourth companion with the most powerful wand in existence. She pointed her wand at his lip, as promised.

"Episkey," she murmured, healing the cut, "I'm going to tell Harry and Ron, and decide when we'll all leave. Want to come?"

"Nope, I think I'll keep to myself," said Draco, glancing at the other two Gryffindor's with dislike. Hermione nodded in understanding, and he started to head back to the house. Draco definitely wasn't the total git that she remembered from Hogwarts. She had a sudden urge to say something, anything, to show that she didn't hate him like Harry and Ron did. The way Harry and Ron were acting was understandable, but there came a point where you had to move on.

"Hey um, without Crabbe and Goyle and your Slytherin gang... you're not that bad, Malfoy," Hermione said nervously, wondering what his reaction would be. He turned around in surprise, hesitating for a second or two.

"Without the Chosen One and his faithful sidekick, you're not that bad either," replied Draco honestly, though he looked embarrassed to admit it.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	8. Chapter 8

"Why Hermione? I can't believe this," Ron groaned for what felt like the millionth time.

"Because he is the only one who can use the Elder Wand Ron, how many times do I have to tell you! If he has the Elder Wand, then You-Know-Who won't get it. And having a fourth person to help find the horcruxes will help," said Hermione bossily, as they were packing an enchanted bag with everything they needed. Harry and Ron were extremely against the idea, to say the least. No matter how much Hermione attempted to explain the advantages of having Malfoy help them, Harry and Ron just didn't agree.

"We don't need the Elder Wand, we can just-"

"Just what? How on earth is anyone going to stop You-Know-Who in an actual duel? Remember, the last part of his soul is inside him, Harry. Dumbledore is the only known wizard who was able to beat him in a duel, so unless another Dumbledore comes along and kills him, we need the Elder Wand. And besides, you were the one who wanted it the most only an hour ago," Hermione ranted in frustration.

"We're not going to get anywhere with Malfoy in the same bloody tent! You saw what happens when we're anywhere near each other. A fight always starts," Harry argued, using any excuse he could think of.

"Yeah, I wonder how that last fight started? Honestly Harry, all you have to do is ignore him. Once this is all over, we'll never see him again," said Hermione, shrugging like it wasn't a big deal. That was the truth as well, unless they were allowed to do their seventh year at Hogwarts after the war. All four of them hadn't attended to graduate. She hoped that they would one day be able to. As for Draco, it would depend on whether he was alive or free by the time the war ended. He could be killed or sent to Azkaban before Hogwarts was re-opened. She felt bad for saying and thinking these things. To her, Draco wasn't the criminal that everyone else saw. He was born into Slytherin, grew up in a house on the other side, and didn't always have a choice. While she was thinking all of this, Harry continued with his arguments.

"And what if it takes months, even years for this to be over?" Harry demanded. All three of them stopped in silence. Hermione hadn't thought of that possibility.

"We'll do whatever it takes to get through this, Harry. If that means working with an old schoolyard bully, so be it. Whatever it takes," said Hermione firmly. Harry shook his head and stormed out of the room, slamming the door as he did so. Ron looked at Hermione with a raised eyebrow.

"I understand where you're coming from, Hermione. But we can do this on our own, Dumbledore left the mission for us three, no one else. Remember?" asked Ron curiously.

"Yes I remember, Ron. But times change, circumstances change. Dumbledore never would have expected You-Know-Who to find out about us destroying his horcruxes. Dumbledore never would have expected Malfoy to escape from the Death Eaters with me either," said Hermione as she re-checked the list of things to pack.

"I suppose," Ron agreed.

"Is there a fourth bed in the tent?" asked Hermione, looking up.

"Who cares, make him sleep on the floor," said Ron in amusement.

"Are you here to help me or are you just going to keep-" Hermione began to say angrily.

"Yes there's a spare mattress in the tent!" said Ron quickly.

"There better be," said Hermione. There was silence as she scribbled off 'extra bed' on the list, and Ron stood there, thinking to himself.

"I think I was right in our fourth year," said Ron thoughtfully as he watched her. Hermione looked up at him suspiciously.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well, you went to the Yule Ball with Krum... now you want Malfoy to come with..." Ron began hesitantly.

"So what, you think I like him? Am I 'fraternising with the enemy' again, Ron?" Hermione asked, glaring at him.

"Well yeah, in a way you are," he replied in annoyance.

"I'm doing this to help stop You-Know-Who! But fine, since you're not going to help me pack, I'm going to go 'fraternise' some more," said Hermione, grabbing the bag and list of things angrily.

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Draco was lying on his bed in his room on the third floor, having absolutely nothing to do. He had been staying in his room all day, every day, apart from meal times. And even for meals, he would still take the food back to his room and eat it. He'd grown up being these people's enemy, and he felt far too uncomfortable living with them every day. Sitting in his room without a wand, without any of his belongings and without even a book however, was incredibly boring. But inevitably, this life was better than being at Malfoy Manor. The cooking was better, because Mrs Weasley was an amazing cook. He wasn't scared of anyone here, he wasn't constantly fearing death and he only hated Harry and Ron. But there were plenty of downfalls. He didn't know whether his parents were dead or alive, the Death Eaters could attack The Burrow at any moment. He heard a knock on the door and looked at it in surprise. Even though he knew it was going to be Hermione, as she was the only one who really talked to him, he was still glad to have something to do.

"Can I come in?" asked a familiar voice. Hermione waited in the corridor timidly. She'd never actually wanted to talk to him, at Malfoy Manor they just had to talk. Yet here she was, willingly socialising with a Slytherin. At Hogworts it would have been impossible.

"Uh, yeah," Draco replied, sitting up. The door opened and in came Hermione with a small bag and piece of paper.

"I'm packing everything so we can leave sometime tomorrow... want to help?" she asked, raising the small bag. Draco looked at it curiously.

"You plan on fitting everything in that?" he asked in amusement.

"I've enchanted it to fit everything inside: books, the tent, food, clothes," Hermione said proudly.

"Of course, books always come first," nodded Draco sarcastically.

"Yes they do," Hermione agreed.

"And clothes last," winked Draco, making her roll her eyes.

"You're more immature than Harry and Ron," Hermione sighed as she closed the door and hopped onto the end of the bed.

"The Gryffindor heroes got your muddy blood boiling?" asked Draco with a smirk. Hermione had to admit, his sense of humour certainly didn't change. It always involved heavy sarcasm, blood-status related insults or sex. But at least he did find things amusing. Everything else in the house was tense and busy from the war. None of the Order members stopped to chat, the majority of the time they were out risking their lives, which took a toll on everyone. Harry and Ron were being a pain, or as Malfoy politely said, 'getting her muddy blood boiling'. There wasn't much cheerfulness or optimism in the rest of the house.

"Yes, they have. Please stop with the insults," said Hermione tiredly. There was silence as she looked at him gloomily. Draco noticed many things in more detail about her. There were dark rings under her eyes, her hair was messier than usual and she was incredibly thin. To his own surprise, he felt somewhat bad, realising most of this was caused by being locked in the cellar. Being on the run would also have contributed to it. Everyone in the Order looked tired and stressed, but there was no fear. That was something he'd come to admire about them. He noticed that despite her wearied disposition, her eyes were still that deep, chocolate brown colour that he'd come to find dazzlingly pretty. He realised he'd been staring into her eyes for longer than usual, so he blinked and looked away.

"Do you remember the Yule Ball and who I went with?" asked Hermione to break the silence.

"Yeah, that Krum guy," said Draco with distaste.

"Is that jealousy? From Draco Malfoy?" Hermione said in surprise.

"No - well, every guy was jealous," he said with a shrug, and then quickly added, "because he - was famous and everything."

"Well, Ron said back then that I was 'fraternising with the enemy'. And downstairs he mentioned it again because I want... well, we need you to come with us," said Hermione with a frustrated sigh. Draco remembered that night quite clearly, mainly because of what Hermione had looked like. Even though none of the Slytherin's would admit it openly, it was obvious that she was one of the most beautiful girls at the Yule Ball. After seeing her, people weren't surprised that Viktor Krum chose her to go with him.

"Fraternising? That's a big word for him, I'm surprised," Draco snickered. Hermione couldn't help but smile, in a way he was right. Ron and Harry never were the brightest when it came to using big words, and either, she realised, were Crabbe or Goyle. It was once again surprising how similar the two of them were, yet at the same time being complete opposites.

"Am I fraternising right now? Are you fraternising?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"Well, it means being friendly towards an enemy. I'm not being friendly though, I'm just trying my hardest not to be mean," said Draco with a shrug. Hermione narrowed her eyes, but she saw him smirk and realised that he was just being sarcastic again.

"What if we weren't enemies?" she suggested, "would it still be fraternising?"

"No it wouldn't. But we are enemies," Draco said firmly. Hermione glanced at him nervously.

"You're their enemies..." she said, pointing towards the door, "but, I don't think we have to be."

"That's just the way it is. You're on that side, I'm on the other side, and there's a big line in between us," said Draco, pointing towards the door, then to himself, then drawing a line with his finger in between him and her. Hermione laughed at his black and white analogy, but shook her head in disagreement.

"But you're wrong. You're not on the other side anymore," said Hermione, watching him curiously before continuing. "You said I wasn't that bad earlier. What did you mean, if you still think we're enemies?"

Another difficult question. She'd been doing that a lot lately: asking questions that he specifically didn't want to answer. His hesitation showed.

"I ... guess it's because I know you a bit more. You're not just 'Granger, the little mudblood bookworm,'" said Draco, snickering at the title. Hermione cringed.

"That's what Slytherin's called me?" she asked sadly. Draco nodded, feeling a pang of guilt at her dejected expression. He called her it the most.

"Well, if I'm not that anymore... what am I?" asked Hermione, sitting up straighter with a smile. Another question that he felt awkward answering. He hesitated again, taking a deep breath as he thought.

"You're... 'Granger, the muggle-born girl,'" he said with a smirk.

"That's it? Just the muggle-born girl?" Hermione asked in exasperation.

"Who likes books, and fraternising," Draco added, nodding thoughtfully.

"I suppose it's an improvement," said Hermione with a dramatic sigh.

"Right, I'm not answering any more questions," said Draco firmly.

"Okay then. Let's start on the packing," Hermione agreed. But the conversation intrigued them and they were both still thinking about it even though they were talking about what to pack. What was the difference between a mudblood and a muggle-born? They're the same thing, only the words have different meanings. The word mudblood was intended to be offensive, suggesting that the person's blood was dirty, that they were inferior and lower class compared to purebloods. Muggle-born simply means: they were born by non-magical parents, but in all respects, the same as magical folk. Draco had grown up learning that muggle-borns were mudbloods. The improvement was that Draco no longer saw her as inferior or lower class. He began to realise that there was absolutely nothing wrong with her, on the contrary, he was reluctantly beginning to consider her a friend.

It was similar for Hermione. She learned the hard way that purebloods like Draco were arrogant jerks. She learned the hard way that he was an arrogant jerk. But despite who they were, they had given each other a chance. Even though neither of them mentioned it, there was an unspoken acknowledgement that they were ignoring and overcoming old prejudices.

\----------

Once the packing was done and they had everything that they needed, they told the Order that they would be leaving the next day. The reaction was the same as last time they left, Mrs Weasley was again asking them where they would be going, and why they were going. But again, their mission had to be kept secret. Mrs Weasley let the matter drop, since it was unsafe for Harry to be at The Burrow. He would have to leave sooner or later anyway. Plus, the Order was glad that Draco was leaving with them as having a Death Eater in their headquarters put them all on edge. Lupin gave them a few heads up, such as not to go to Hogsmeade at night. At night there is a Caterwauling charm which alerts the Death Eaters of intruders. With that, the decision was made. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco - the 'four companions' - would leave The Burrow and arrive in Hogsmeade during daylight the following day. The plan was to get into Hogwarts using the underground passage from Honeydukes, because they knew that the Elder Wand was in Dumbledore's grave, since he had it last.

"Come on, I'm going to tell Malfoy and you two are coming with me," said Hermione firmly when they headed upstairs to talk in private.

"Why Hermione?" Ron complained.

"Because you're going to have to get along if we are going to get this right," Hermione said, dragging them up the steps until they reluctantly followed her. She knocked on Draco's door and they all walked in. Luckily there were spare seats in the room, so Harry and Ron sat at the desk and Hermione sat on the bed again. Draco did his best to pretend that the other two Gryffindor's weren't there, and only looked at Hermione.

"Okay. I've been thinking, and this is my plan. Harry and Ron will be under the Invisibility cloak," Hermione began.

"Hermione!" Ron hissed, nodding towards Draco.

"I already know about the cloak, I'm sure you remember the train ride last year Potter," said Draco with a smirk. Harry remembered very clearly: after sneaking into Draco's compartment under the Invisibility cloak, Draco stunned him and broke his nose. Draco had an inkling about the cloak many times before then too. Hermione and Ron also remembered. Harry and Draco were glaring at each other and the room was like a cauldron of hate steadily heading towards boiling point.

"Malfoy, Harry, both of you don't talk. Just keep your mouths shut," Hermione ordered sharply.

"If three people go under the cloak, our legs will show at the bottom because you two are too tall now. So just Harry and Ron will use the cloak. Me and Malfoy will use this," she continued quickly, changing the subject. She pulled a large, thin blanket out of the small bag.

"What the hell are we...?" Draco began in confusion.

"I'll cast my best Disillusionment charm on it. It will be close enough to the Invisibility cloak," said Hermione in a smug tone. Depending on the power of the charm, sometimes it only helps people blend into something. But Hermione was confident her charm would be strong enough to make the blanket invisible, or close enough to it, which was something that only someone like Dumbledore could achieve.

"So they get a rare cloak of Invisibility, and we're hiding under a charmed blanket?" Draco clarified. Ron snickered and Harry hid his grin behind his hand. Hermione glared at them.

"When I'm done with it, it will be a cloak of Invisibility too," said Hermione, waving her hand as though it didn't matter.

"A blanket of Invisibility, Hermione," Ron corrected. Harry burst out laughing and Draco was working hard to hide his smile.

"Well, at least it'll be warmer than your cloak!" said Hermione, stuffing the blanket back into the bag.

"Okay, so what's the plan? Where are we going?" asked Draco.

"We're going to disapparate into Hogsmeade, as close to Honeydukes as possible-" Hermione began to say.

"Not at night though, we've put - I mean, they've put a Caterwauling Charm on Hogsmeade that works during the night," said Draco quickly, but the other three nodded in understanding.

"We know, Lupin told us. We'll have to apparate in the middle of the day tomorrow. Then we'll sneak into Honeydukes, invisibly, and use the secret passage in the basement to get into Hogwarts," Hermione continued, getting groans from Harry and Ron. To them, all of these little secrets were incredibly important. Even though the chances of them going back for their seventh year was slim, and even though they probably wouldn't use the passage again, they didn't want Draco finding out.

"Secret passage?" asked Draco, raising an eyebrow.

"He was going to find out anyway, honestly. There's a secret passageway that leads from the Honeydukes basement to Hogwarts, Malfoy. That's how we'll get into Hogwarts, and from there we'll get the Elder Wand," Hermione explained. It seemed like a straightforward plan, but it was still risky with a thousand things that could go wrong.

"And after we have the wand? What then?" asked Draco, his nervousness showing slightly. He was willing to help them, but he wasn't willing to risk his life with them. Getting the wand and destroying the horcruxes was one thing, but fighting against Death Eaters who were originally his allies was something else entirely.

"We can search for horcruxes in Hogwarts, and perhaps ask the ghosts and teachers if we can avoid being seen. And then we'll escape the same way we came," Harry suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

\----------

Their luck and their plan was shaken that night, however. The only person still awake after midnight was a drowsy Remus Lupin who was keeping watch outside, as there was always someone on watch at all hours. Hermione was on the first floor, and she was woken suddenly by shouts and the sound of explosions going on both outside and inside the house. The Order's own Caterwauling Charm had been set off, and a loud magical alarm was sounding throughout the entire house. As Hermione drowsily got out of bed, she could hear doors banging open and footsteps coming from upstairs. She hurriedly found her wand and panicked at the sound of spells being fired. The Burrow was under attack. Hermione grabbed her wand and the small bag which had everything already in it. She didn't bother getting changed out of her pyjamas, and instead she hurried for the door. The most important thing for her, Harry, Ron and Draco, was to escape. She opened her door and ran out into complete chaos. The lights were out so it was pitch black, but blazing lights of white, red and green were flying in all directions, smashing walls, exploding objects and being deflected back and forth.

"Hermione! Hurry upstairs, get the others and go!" shouted a voice from the dark. It sounded like Mr Weasley, but she didn't need to know who it was, she was already running blindly towards the stairs. After being in the house so many times it wasn't hard to find, and the constant spells flying around acted like lightning, constantly illuminating the room again and again. She could also hear crack after crack from outside, as more Order members and Death Eaters arrived. On her way up the stairs she ran straight into someone else, who turned out to be Harry going downwards.

"Harry? Up! Go up!" hissed Hermione, grabbing his arm and continuing upward.

"But we've got to fight-"

"No Harry! Where's Ron-"

"Here, I'm going to fight too-"

"NO! You're going to get us all killed! We have to escape and continue with the plan!" shouted Hermione, pushing past them and running upwards. The other two had no choice. They weren't leaving Hermione on her own, so they followed her up. They reached the second floor and heard footsteps at the bottom of the staircase, just starting to come after them.

"Where are we going?"

"To get Malfoy-"

"There's no time Hermione! The Death Eater is catching us!" Harry urged from behind her, as the footsteps chasing them came closer and closer on the staircase. Hermione ignored him and kept running, as they'd just reached the third floor. Besides, it might not even be a Death Eater, it could just be an Order member-

"Confringo!" screamed a voice from the second floor, the spell flying upwards and hitting the wall behind them. The wall exploded into rubble and flames, and they heard cackling laughter from the spell caster. The same name went through all their minds: Bellatrix. Hermione was filled with a sudden urgency to go faster. As she sprinted down the dark corridor of the third floor, she ran directly into Draco who was also sprinting in their direction. They collided in the dark with such force that they were knocked straight off their feet. Draco got up, staggering into the wall. The corridor seemed to be spinning and he was seeing stars. It was lucky he hadn't been knocked out, but Hermione wasn't so lucky. She remained motionless on the ground.

"Hermione! I'm going to kill you Malfoy," Ron growled.

"Now isn't the time Ron, we've got to go!" shouted Harry, turning to face the other end of the corridor. Draco picked Hermione up without saying a word, and the three of them clasped hands to apparate.

"Not Hogsmeade: the Caterwauling Charm," Draco reminded them both. He was carrying Hermione and he didn't have a wand, so he couldn't do the apparating. One of the other two had to do it, and quickly.

"Where to?" asked Ron.

"I don't know! Whatever pops into your head! HURRY!" shouted Draco urgently as the sound of footsteps came closer and closer from the staircase. Suddenly they felt as though they were being pulled through a rubber tube, and the footsteps faded as they disapparated from the house.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	9. Chapter 9

The first thing they noticed was snow. Whoever had chosen the apparition location, they'd chosen somewhere which was snowing heavily. The instantaneous freeze that seemed to seep into their skin chilled them to the bone. They were deep in a wild forest and almost everything was covered in a thick blanket of white snow. Draco felt himself start to shiver after only a few seconds, and he looked down worriedly at the girl in his arms. She seemed so small and weighed almost nothing. The freezing weather was going to affect her the worst if they didn't hurry.

"Why is it snowing? Where on earth did you two take us?" demanded Draco in frustration, turning on Harry and Ron. All their breaths were coming out as mist.

"Albania. What? You said the first thing that popped into-" Ron replied with a shrug.

"How the fuck did Albania pop into your-" Draco began angrily.

"You knocked Hermione out! As a matter of fact, put her down!" countered Ron.

"Put her down? What, in the snow, genius?" Draco snapped back.

"Both of you shut up! We've got to set the tent up quickly, it's in the bag," ordered Harry, pointing to the bag around Hermione's neck. The other two noticed that Harry was missing both eyebrows. He'd been splinched. It made sense that something had to go wrong, Ron never was the best at apparating, and there was four people involved. Draco tossed the bag to Ron, who used Accio to get the tent out, which fell on the snow in a pile of canvas, ropes and poles. It wasn't going to be easy to set up in the snow. Draco carried Hermione over to a group of large trees, leaning back against one. Harry and Ron lifted the tent and carried it closer to the trees, and then began setting it up as fast as they could by hand. It was painfully slow, and all four of them were still in pyjamas or half-dressed, so the cold was unbearable. Being on the third floor at the Burrow, Draco hadn't realised what was really happening. He had time to get his shoes and cloak on before he heard shouting and sprinted from his room. Unlike Hermione who hadn't changed at all: she was still in a singlet, shorts and bare feet. Draco suddenly felt something warm on his arm near Hermione's leg. Looking down, he saw the deep scarlet colour of blood, seeping from her thigh. Hermione had also been splinched, but much, much worse.

"Oh Merlin. Granger got splinched too, hurry up!" urged Draco, feeling a terrifying panic rise from within him. Harry and Ron knew that the only way to help Hermione was by getting the tent up faster. They kept working silently and as fast as possible, ignoring the weather.

\----------

It took them at least fifteen minutes to finally get it done, due to the snow and freezing cold. By the time they were finished, the three of them were shivering uncontrollably and Hermione was frighteningly pale. Draco noticed that the snow at his feet was covered in bright red. He remembered when they were in the forest and it was cold from the rain and night, but that was nothing compared to the snow and ice of this place. Thankfully everything inside was already in place magically, but Harry could have sworn there was a spell to instantly set the tent up. He remembered Hermione using it, but couldn't remember the incantation. Regardless, when the tent was up, they hurried inside and ran to the fire place instantly. Harry ignited it and began using a hot-air charm on himself and the floor, to help heat the large tent up. Ron zipped up the entrance completely to block out the snow and wind, then started pulling blankets out of the bag.

Harry said something along the lines of, 'Get the bottle of Dittany for Hermione, her leg looks very bad', but his shivering was so extreme that Ron barely understood a word he said. Ron caught on however, and summoned the little bottle of Dittany liquid as well as the blankets.

Draco lay Hermione right beside the fireplace carefully, taking off his cloak and putting it over her. Ron came over with three blankets and the bottle of Dittany. Of course he hadn't gotten a blanket for Draco, who glared at him. No one spoke any further, however, as they were shivering too much for speech. The blood was everywhere and the other two Gryffindor's were frozen with fear and panic. They suddenly realised that their best friend was actually on the brink of death. It seemed that Draco would have to do everything, so he snatched the little bottle of brown liquid out of Ron's hands and placed it beside Hermione's right leg. He pulled her shorts up slightly, revealing a large, deep gash on her thigh which Draco could barely see under the pool of blood. As Harry approached, Ron moved away slightly as queasiness set in from the gory sight in front of him. Draco's hands were shaking horribly from the cold and panic, as he opened the bottle and let a few drops drip onto the wound. Magical mist rose from the wound as the brown healing liquid took effect, and within a few moments the wound was closed and healed. All that remained was a thick pink scar on her thigh.

"Tergeo," murmured Harry, casting the cleaning spell to get rid of all the blood. Hermione was still deathly pale, and Draco leaned his ear against her chest. Her breathing was very slow and irregular. Harry lent down and did the same. Ron returned and the three of them huddled around the fire as close as they could without being burnt, in complete silence. After warming up slightly, they emptied out the small bag of all clothes, books, food and other things Hermione and Draco had packed. There wasn't much talking, since they were still shivering too much. The tent had three sections: two bedrooms on the left and right of the tent, separated by the middle section. The middle section had a tiny kitchen and a living room with a fireplace, table and chairs, and a lounge.

Once warm enough from the fire, Harry and Ron went into the left bedroom and got changed into warmer clothes with extra layers of jumpers. Draco grabbed a blanket from the bag and huddled in front of the fireplace for warmth, beside Hermione. He still didn't have any of his own clothes except the ones he left Malfoy Manor with. At The Burrow Mrs Weasley had offered him some of Fred and George's old clothes that Ron had. But Draco doubted that Ron would share anything at all now that they were out on their own. Likewise Draco didn't want to share clothes with someone he hated so much. The two Gryffindor's returned in warmer clothes and all of them huddled around the fire until the entire tent had warmed up, but Hermione remained pale.

"If she gets sick, it's your fault," said Draco, breaking the long silence. The statement was directed at Ron, who went red with fury.

"You're the one who knocked her out, maybe if she was conscious when we apparated this wouldn't have happened," Ron defended himself.

"You apparated us into this freezing forest, because of you she got splinched and nearly died of blood loss!" shouted Draco. He was surprised by how much he cared. Why should he care if Granger nearly died? It's not like she had ever mattered to him. But she mattered now. It was an odd feeling. Over the past week he felt like they'd bonded more than he would like to admit. His attitude towards the 'bookworm' had changed. But his attitude towards Ron was only getting worse. How stupid could the Weasley be, apparating to a place he'd never been when all of their lives were at stake.

"Shut up Malfoy, he had a reason to come to Albania. For months we've thought that a horcrux might be here," explained Harry in a firm tone. Even though he knew it was a mistake, at least it wasn't a stupid mistake. It was kind of smart.

"Like you're going to find anything out there anyway. You should have thought before apparating somewhere you'd never been before," argued Draco, indicating towards outside. Finding any sort of object would have been near impossible with the amount of snow that covered everything.

"In case you've forgotten, I didn't have much time for thinking about how the weather would be!" shouted Ron in frustration.

"Because you're an idiot!"

"It was a mistake, drop it," Harry said diplomatically.

"Mistakes get people killed," snapped Draco. An intense silence ensued, as they all glanced worriedly at Hermione, sleeping under the blankets beside the fire.

"Why do you care?" demanded Ron suspiciously. Draco hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to sound like he liked Hermione. At the same time though, despite being a former Death Eater, he was still human. Obviously he didn't want to watch her or anyone else die.

"Perhaps next time I'll be the one who gets splinched, Weasley. If she weren't around, you'd both leave me for dead too. That's why I care," Draco spat, glaring at them from across the fireplace. The fighting went on for quite some time, but due to Harry's urging they managed to stop. Draco couldn't believe he'd ever hated Hermione, he felt like she was undeniably more likeable than both Harry and Ron combined. Being stuck in such close proximity inside the tent with nothing to do was not going to be pleasant for any of them. They couldn't leave the tent because the weather slowly began to get colder and harsher outside. They wouldn't be able to apparate again either, with Hermione still asleep and recovering from the last accident.

They were in for a gruelling couple of days.

\----------

"Where is my wand?" Draco asked after searching the small bag. The other two Gryffindor's smirked, doing excellent impressions of the Slytherin. They were at the living room table playing wizard chess, and they were doing their best to frustrate Draco. It was a few hours after they'd arrived, and they'd finally settled into the tent. Hermione was still sleeping and none of them had gotten anything to eat yet. Harry and Ron assumed that Hermione would cook when she woke up, which annoyed Draco to no end. How lazy could they be?

"Why should we tell you?" snorted Ron, after moving a pawn forwards on the chess board.

"Because it's my property. Nice move retard, Potter's queen can get you," snickered Draco, watching them from the fireplace. He didn't have any jumpers and he'd put his cloak on Hermione, so he was staying next to her and the fire with a blanket over his shoulders to stay warm. Harry eagerly moved his queen forwards, which whacked Ron's pawn off of the table.

"Actually ferret, I was sacrificing one piece for another. That's what good chess players do," said Ron smugly, as he ordered his knight to take out Harry's queen. The magical chess knight reared up on its horse and smashed Harry's queen into little pieces. The remaining chess pieces on Ron's side cheered and shook their fists at Draco, who raised an eyebrow coldly.

"Whatever. Tell me where my damn wand is."

"No-"

"Yes-"

"No-"

"Fine I'll steal yours and kill you with it in your sleep," Draco snarled.

"How about I kill you now-"

"You haven't got the balls Weasel, you never did-"

"Both of you be quiet! You don't need your wand Malfoy, stop whining," said Harry.

"Yes! Checkmate, again!" jeered Ron as his chess pieces chased Harry's king off the board.

"I want a rematch, Malfoy distracted me."

"I'm sick of listening to you two play chess, you're such fucking nerds. Tell me where my wand is!" Draco roared, losing his patience entirely.

"Keep it down, you might wake Hermione! And besides, what would you do if the situation was in reverse, ferret? There's no way you'd give us our wands back, because you're a slimy git. Sit down and be quiet or we'll make you be quiet," said Ron. Draco didn't say another word, he just glared hatefully at the two Gryffindor's who once again started another game of chess. In his mind, that was the last straw. They really did need to be taught a lesson. But for the time being, there wasn't much he could do about it. Instead he got up and walked to the kitchen to get himself something to eat.

"Can you get me something to eat?" asked Harry.

"Fuck off Potter," spat Draco waspishly, as he began to make himself a sandwich.

"It doesn't take long to make a sandwich," growled Ron, looking up from the chess board.

"I'd rather make the mudblood a sandwich than you two, and that's saying something," said Draco as he finished his sandwich and began searching the kitchen for his wand. They had to have hidden it somewhere...

"Call her that one more time, I dare you," said Ron angrily.

"What are you going to do Weasley?"

"Test me one more time and you'll find out."

"If I had my wand I'd test you alright, but you're too much of a coward to have a fair fight aren't you?" Draco challenged him.

"You talk tough Malfoy, but there's no coward here but you. Your wand is somewhere in the kitchen, I don't give a damn if you find it," said Harry, with a sense of finality in his voice. The fight ended there, with Draco glaring at them both, fuming. As time passed, the mood of the tent grew worse. It was becoming more than just schoolyard rivalry. They detested each others presence. Though he'd never admit it, Draco wished Hermione would get better and wake. Just like he was in charge of Crabbe and Goyle, Hermione was definitely in charge of Harry and Ron. Her intelligence and bossy nature kept them in line. But until then, all Draco could do was try and ignore them. He began thoroughly searching the kitchen for his wand and eventually found it, pocketing it before returning to the fireplace. Harry and Ron got bored of chess and finished their last match with Ron winning again, as usual, and afterwards made themselves sandwiches also. The fact that none of them actually knew how to cook almost made Draco smirk. Draco did know how to cook a few basic meals, but he refused to do it for Harry and Ron. So instead, for lunch and dinner they had sandwiches and pumpkin juice.

"I'm going to bed," announced Harry when he'd finished eating.

"I'll take Hermione to bed," said Ron quickly, moving towards the fireplace where Draco was sitting. Harry had always known Ron liked her, and Draco was beginning to realise how obvious it was also. It frustrated him at the same time, because Ron was trying to help and care for her, when it was his fault she got splinched in the first place. With the annoyance came a twinge of jealousy that he didn't quite understand.

"Wait a minute, where's she going to sleep?" demanded Draco as he stood up. There were two bedrooms, and each had a bunk bed. There was no way in hell that he was going to sleep in the same room as Potter.

"In my room," said Ron confidently.

"No way, you're with Potter."

"And what, leave Hermione with you? After what you've done?" asked Ron.

"After what I've done? I helped her escape the Death Eaters!" said Draco furiously.

"You only did that to save yourself!" countered Ron.

"Don't try to place the blame on me! It's your fault we're stuck here in this mess!" shouted Draco, having a sudden urge to reach for his wand.

"It doesn't matter, you're the last person she should be near!"

"Sorry Ron, but I'm not sleeping in the same room as Malfoy either," said Harry flatly.

"About time you say something useful Potter," Draco sighed in relief.

"But Harry-"

"She'll just be a room away Ron, it's not a big deal. If Malfoy does anything stupid it'll be three against one," said Harry, glaring at Draco as if it were a warning. The glare was returned with equal dislike. The three of them stood silently, Ron looking the most annoyed. This meant that Harry and Ron would be sleeping in the left bedroom of the tent, and Hermione and Draco would be in the right bedroom.

"Fine, but I'm carrying her to bed," said Ron. Draco rolled his eyes, it amazed him how hard Ron tried to act like the knight in shining armour, when his feelings were likely unrequited.

"Try not to splinch her again on the way to the bedroom, Sir Weasel," snapped Draco hurtfully. But the twinge of jealousy returned as he watched the Gryffindor girl be carried away by the person he hated most. That damn feeling! Why was he so jealous and annoyed about all of this? He shouldn't be. Harry and Draco waited in silence, as Ron took his time to tuck Hermione under the covers of the bottom bunk-bed. The longer he took, the more angry Draco felt himself get. When at last Hermione was comfortably in bed, Ron returned to the fireplace looking smug. Draco and Ron shoved shoulders as they walked past each other to their separate rooms.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	10. Chapter 10

Early the next morning, Draco was woken up by someone kicking his mattress from underneath him. Being on the top bunk, he knew that it was Hermione who was doing the kicking. They were feeble kicks, and were barely moving him, but it was enough to wake him.

"Wake... up...!" he heard Hermione groan tiredly.

"I'm awake. You need to work on them thighs though, you kick like a child," Draco smirked as he wiped his eyes and started to get up. For some reason, he was in a pretty good mood. Probably because he wouldn't have to put up with Harry or Ron as much, now that Hermione was awake.

"That's because my right thigh is aching! Can you come down? My shorts are covered in blood, I've got a scar on my thigh and I can't remember anything," said Hermione. Her voice sounded drained of strength, and Draco had a bad feeling that she might have caught a cold. He slowly got up and climbed down to the floor, pulling a chair over to sit next to where Hermione was lying. She laid on her side under the covers and looked at him questioningly.

"Well, we kind of clashed heads at The Burrow during the attack... and you got knocked out," said Draco with a slight smirk.

"Yes, and that's the last thing I can remember," said Hermione grumpily.

"Everything after that is Weasley's fault. He apparated us to Albania, Merlin knows why, and it's freezing here. He splinched you badly, and we stood in the snow for twenty minutes while they put the tent up," Draco continued, feeling relieved at finally being able to inform her on how much of an idiot Ron was.

"Wait, were you carrying me?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Yeah, I had to. The other two were putting the tent up and I didn't have a wand, so..." Draco trailed off.

"No it's fine, I was just wondering," said Hermione, smiling gently.

"By the time the tent was up, you were freezing cold and had lost a lot of blood. That's what the scar is," Draco explained, leaving out most of the details. Hermione knew that there was more to it, as she'd been healed and lovingly tucked into bed.

"And?" she asked, indicating for him to continue.

"It was pretty gory, Weasley moved away because he's a pussy. I used Essence of Dittany to heal the gash, then Potter cleaned away most of the blood," explained Draco.

"Who carried me to bed?" asked Hermione next.

"Sir Weasel, your Gyrffindor knight," said Draco bitterly.

"You seem angry about it," Hermione in amusement.

"Because it was his fault you got splinched in the first place, yet he still acts like a white knight."

"I'm guessing there were lots of arguments?" asked Hermione, sounding disappointed. She had hoped that maybe they'd somehow get along.

"Out of every person in Hogwarts, I think I hate those two the most. They seem to expect you to cook too, by the way," said Draco as he got out of the chair and stretched. He was getting hungry and planned on making himself breakfast before the others woke up. Hermione remembered the last time they were hunting horcruxes, and how she often cooked for the other two. Mrs Weasley had always spoiled them with her cooking, and food was therefore always an issue.

"I'm starving, but there's no way I can cook. Can you make breakfast?" Hermione asked.

"For myself I can," said Draco firmly.

"For me?" she continued timidly. There was a slight pause as they looked at each other. Hermione was giving him a puppy eyes expression that he'd never seen her use before. He was almost about to say yes.

"What do I look like, a house elf?" said Draco in annoyance as he turned to leave the room. Hermione glared after him. Typical selfish pureblood, she shouldn't have even bothered asking him. But after the past couple of days, she'd expected at least a small degree of niceness from him.

"Did I say you were a house elf?" she piqued.

"No, but you ordered me to make breakfast," replied Draco.

"I asked you politely!" called Hermione in exasperation as he walked out of sight.

"So? House elves are 'asked politely' to cook too," came his reply. Hermione rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe him.

"I've been nice to you, the least you could do is be nice back," Hermione called from the room, sounding upset. She pushed herself up into a sitting position but her head span with dizziness. Draco was already in the kitchen preparing to cook bacon and eggs.

"I'm a pureblood, Granger, remember? Superiority and all that jazz," Draco responded sarcastically. He obviously intended to cook her breakfast for two reasons: she was his only ally in the group, and it would piss off Weasley. He wasn't going to be overly nice about it, and it certainly wasn't going to become a habit, however. He just needed her to regain her strength.

"Fine then. Hope you're proud of yourself," Hermione snapped grumpily from the bedroom. He missed getting on her nerves, and found himself trying hard not to laugh at her next frustrated comment. "You damn git."

Just as he finished cooking the bacon and eggs and was putting it onto two plates, he saw Hermione limping out of the bedroom. She reached the nearby lounge and clutched it to stop from swaying too much. Her thin arms shook with the effort and her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of the cushion. She looked like a complete mess in her bloodied shorts, bare feet and white singlet. He couldn't help but notice that although she looked like a mess... she was an undeniably cute mess. The next thing he noticed was how startlingly pale she was.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, aghast.

"Getting breakfast," she said weakly.

"I just made you some!"

"You said you weren't going to!"

"I was being sarcastic Granger."

"Oh," she said in faint surprise. He grabbed her plate and nodded towards the bedroom as he crossed the tent. She limped back in and collapsed on the bed, shivering under the blankets from the cold. As he set the plate down beside her with a knife and fork, she smiled widely up at him.

"Thanks Malfoy," Hermione said sincerely. "This was nice."

"Don't get used to it," he responded, looking uncomfortable. "I only did it because you're injured."

\----------

Later that day with Hermione still resting and the other two Gryffindor's still in their room, Draco decided to play chess against himself. There was a simple spell used to animate the chessboard and play against oneself, which he did. He heard footsteps from his bedroom and watched as Hermione left the bedroom dressed in much warmer clothes, and with the blanket wrapped around herself. She put her plate in the kitchen sink and cast the same automatic cleaning spell that Mrs Weasley did, before quickly making herself coffee.

"Ron won't be happy with you using his chess set," she said concernedly.

"What's he going to do about it?" snickered Draco, but he went silent after that as he began to concentrate. Hermione walked over, sipping her coffee, and watched in amusement as she sat on the lounge near him and the little wizarding chess pieces smashed each other to bits. Draco was slowly but surely losing the match, and the noise from the chess pieces battling one another must have woken the other two Gryffindor's. Sure enough, moments later they heard stomping footsteps coming from the other bedroom and out came Ron.

"That's my chess set!" the redhead growled.

"Shut up, I'm concentrating," muttered Draco, scratching his chin and staring intently at the board.

"I don't care, it's mine," said Ron as he walked over.

"I find that hard to believe, you can't afford a chess set," Draco smirked, looking up.

"My mother bought it for me!" snarled Ron.

"Must've taken her years to save up for it, how generous of her," Draco said sardonically as he looked back down and made another move. Ron went red with anger and looked as if he was going to pull his wand out.

"Malfoy!" exclaimed Hermione angrily.

"Shut your mouth ferret, or I'll hex you," Ron threatened.

"Pull your wand out Weasley and see what happens," said Draco darkly, glaring up at him.

"Both of you stop! Malfoy just give Ron his chess set!" said Hermione. Draco glared at the other Gryffindor before standing up from the table. He didn't really care much about the chess set, but the thought of giving up to Ron frustrated him.

"Get it yourself," Draco said as he left the tent completely. Harry had just walked into the room and was watching in amusement.

"I'm going in for a shower and getting changed, we should leave soon," said Harry, hoping to change the subject and start pursuing horcruxes again.

"I should have hexed him," Ron growled to himself as he packed up the chess set.

"I can't believe you could get that angry over a board game, Ron," Hermione hissed as she got up to leave the tent.

"He offended my mother!" he shouted after her. But Hermione didn't listen and simply left to find where Malfoy had gotten to.

\----------

Inside the tent Harry and Ron were having showers and getting changed and ready for the rest of the day. The plan was to leave before it got dark, but they couldn't go to Hogsmeade yet. It was best to go there in the morning, to avoid being caught by any Caterwauling charms. And if they left in the morning, that would give them the most time to get into Hogwarts and find the Elder Wand and horcruxes. Meanwhile outside the tent, Hermione quickly put some shoes on before walking over to where Draco was sitting on the snow.

"You didn't have to say that about Ron's mum," said Hermione from behind him.

"You didn't have to come out here and tell me that," countered Draco without turning around.

"Well I wanted to. Why can't you just get along with him?" she asked next as she sat down. Thankfully it wasn't as cold as the day before, and the hot coffee she clutched in her hands helped to warm her up. There was no snow or rain falling, just crisp morning air. Draco shook his head in frustration. How couldn't she understand? Everything about Weasley angered him. He just did not and would not ever like the guy.

"I'm not going to get along with him," said Draco firmly.

"Because you're not trying."

"And I don't plan to either, can you stop talking about it?" said Draco irritably as he looked at her. Hermione glared back before looking away and sighing grumpily. He noticed that her colour was returning; the sleep, breakfast and coffee must have been helping. There was silence as they were both absorbed in thought. Draco was thinking about how he'd ended up being able to talk to her like this. Even though they were disagreeing, it felt almost like they were two friends arguing in the Slytherin common room. He thought back to their early Hogwarts years and realised that there was a reason they got along better. Hermione had never really done anything bad to him. He bullied her and called her names for years on end, because she was the know-it-all mudblood. In return, the only negative thing that she did back to him, was punching him in the face in their third year. The memory brought a smirk to his face, as he reflected on his naive thirteen year old self. After that however, he and Hermione rarely had any serious conflict. It became a more dangerous rivalry between himself, Harry and Ron. The duelling, breaking Harry's nose, being ordered to kill Dumbledore: it all went downhill towards the later years, but his issues never involved her.

"Harry and Ron are probably hungry..." Hermione began in an attempt to start a conversation.

"They can eat shit," muttered Draco.

"Why are you always like this?" Hermione demanded as she looked at him.

"If Weasley suddenly dropped dead, I wouldn't give a damn. That's why Granger, I just don't care," said Draco.

"You seemed to care about me last night," said Hermione quickly. There was an awkward silence after that, as Draco didn't know how to respond. She'd got him there. He couldn't lie to himself, he had cared last night when her life was in his hands. The fact that she felt the need to bring that up, and seemed to constantly want him to acknowledge that he was being nice, frustrated him. Without knowing what to say, he just got up to leave.

"Malfoy wait, I shouldn't have said that," continued Hermione, but he'd already walked into the tent. She sighed, questioning why she'd even brought it up. She returned to the tent moments later to get out of the cold, and heard the shower running. Draco and Harry were sitting on opposite sides of the living room, refusing to communicate or acknowledge each other. Harry looked as if he'd just gotten out of the shower because his messy black hair was still damp.

"We're going to go somewhere else before it gets dark Hermione, we don't want to stay in one place for too long. Tomorrow morning we'll go to Hogsmeade," said Harry, quickly breaking the silence.

"Sounds good to me. Malfoy, are you going in next?" asked Hermione, gesturing towards the bathroom and shower. Draco raised an eyebrow at her.

"I haven't got anything to change into," he answered.

"What about Ron's or Harry's stuff?" Hermione suggested.

"I'm not wearing their filthy clothes," said the Slytherin.

"Nor are we giving him any," said Harry immediately afterwards.

"You guys are so childish, honestly," said Hermione as she glared at them. Neither replied, so she continued, "Fine, we'll have to go and get you some muggle clothes Malfoy."

"I'm not wearing muggle clothes!" Draco growled in outrage. All his life he'd only worn wizard clothing, and it was incredibly strange seeing Hermione and Harry always walking around in muggle clothing outside of Hogwarts. Ron usually wore wizard clothing because his family were purebloods, though they weren't as strict as Draco's. For the Malfoy's, it was almost a family rule to wear expensive wizard robes regardless of the occasion. Hermione crossed her arms and glared at him.

"Wizarding shops will be under watch, they're too risky. Muggle clothes or no clothes Malfoy, you decide," she said forcefully.

"You'd like that wouldn't you?" Draco snickered in reply.

"Because we haven't got time to waste, we need to be ready to go to Hogwarts first thing tomorrow," Hermione continued, ignoring his comment.

"Alright I get the point, mudblood!" Draco snapped. Even though wearing muggle clothes would be a pain and an act against his pureblood nature, he was willing to do anything to leave the tent and be away from Potter and Weasley for a while. He'd been calling Hermione 'Granger' more often lately, and her eyes narrowed when he'd used the word mudblood instead. While it meant nothing to him whether he called her Granger or mudblood, he knew that the latter got under her skin, and he felt the need to let out his frustration in one way or another.

"Call me that again and I won't help you shop for muggle clothes. You can go to Hogwarts in your pyjamas for all I care," Hermione snapped as she went into the bedroom to get a towel and change of clothes. That shut him up; as much as he detested the idea of wearing muggle clothes, there was no way in hell he'd be returning to Hogwarts in his pyjamas. Harry grinned in amusement at seeing Hermione shut Malfoy down, and a few moments later Ron had finished his shower and it was Hermione's turn to go in. When Harry told Ron that Hermione and Draco were going to get muggle clothes later, he suddenly wanted to go as well.

"I'm not letting her leave with you alone," Ron said firmly.

"What am I going to do, bully her to death?" said Draco in exasperation.

"You're still a Death Eater, you could take her to You-Know-Who," continued Ron, who seemed to have been thinking about this for a while.

"If I wanted to do that why the hell would I escape with her in the first place?" asked Draco rhetorically. Ron paused for a moment, but before he could reply Draco continued.

"And you don't know anything about how the Dark Lord thinks, don't talk about things you don't understand," said Draco in frustration. The truth was, that Voldemort wouldn't care about Hermione or Draco anymore. They were just two teenagers, a mudblood and a blood traitor. If he showed up with Hermione and handed her over, he'd just be killed for betraying Voldemort and she would be kept as leverage against Harry. There really was no turning back at all for him, which was something Harry and Ron didn't understand. He couldn't just hand over the mudblood and be rewarded like a hero, it didn't work like that with Voldemort.

"Yeah, you understand how he thinks because you're on his side," snarled Ron.

"Shut up Weasley,"said Draco, not bothering to continue. His parents were wandless, defenceless and at the mercy of Voldemort. Their son was considered a traitor, and for that reason they were likely being punished, perhaps even going to be killed. The Malfoy's had been treated poorly by Voldemort long before Draco's escape and even before Dumbledore's death, mainly because of Lucius' failures as a Death Eater. The other two Gryffindor's knew none of this though, and there was no way Draco would talk about his parents in front of them. He didn't want to talk to them about anything at all, period.

"I'm right, aren't I? That's why you haven't got anything to say!" continued Ron eagerly as he pointed an accusing finger at Draco.

"I haven't said anything because my situation is more complicated than your puny brain can handle," Draco snarled back. The argument worsened as time went on. Ron seemed convinced with his own idea that Draco was really acting undercover to find out what they were up to. Of course this was ridiculous, but it made sense in Ron's eyes. Harry was trying not to get involved with the arguing, but he was still siding with Ron regardless. Draco was doing his best to ignore Ron because they were touching on a delicate subject. The main reason he'd joined them on the stupid horcrux quest was to end the war and be reunited with his parents. The more reluctant Draco seemed to talk about it, the more convinced Ron was that he was secretly on Voldemort's side. And that's what it was like for the next twenty minutes. Draco couldn't wait for Hermione to hurry up so that he could be out of the tent. At last she got out of the bathroom already dressed and ready. Their expressions and body language told her that they'd been fighting.

"Hermione, I've got to get some clothes too so can I come?" Ron began to ask quickly.

"He wants to come because he thinks I'm going to kidnap you and hand you over to the Death Eaters," Draco explained in a bored voice. There was a short silence as Ron glared at Draco and they all waited for Hermione's reply.

"If he wanted to do that then he wouldn't have left the Death Eater's with me to begin with..." said Hermione in confusion.

"Like I said," Draco agreed.

"He's lying!"

"Will you just stop fighting? Ron you already have heaps of clothes packed, you don't need any more. And besides, I'm sick of listening to you lot argue over the smallest things," said Hermione as she searched the bag for something.

"Are you sure you're even ready to travel? You lost a lot of blood yesterday," Ron went on, determined to somehow be involved.

"I'm fine. We'll apparate in, grab some clothes, and apparate out. It won't take long," said Hermione with a shrug as she took out the Invisibility cloak. At that Ron sighed in defeat, knowing that Hermione was adamant about going without him to avoid any fighting. After a few more minutes of conversation, and listening to Harry urge them to be quick so that they can go to another place before it got too dark, she and Draco were ready to leave.

"Don't worry Weasley, I'll take care of her," Draco mocked, knowing it was the perfect time to have a sly stab at him. Ron looked furious and Hermione rolled her eyes as they left the tent.

\----------

They disapparated to a muggle town in London of Hermione's choosing, under the Invisibility cloak. Hermione lead the way towards the door of a clothing store she knew, which was closed. It was evidently a quiet afternoon, and the witch and wizard used this to their advantage. After unlocking the shop door with a whispered, 'Alohamora', they entered the shop. When they were sure that the shop was empty, Hermione locked the door with magic to be safe before taking the cloak off of them.

"I'm choosing the clothes," said Draco firmly as he looked around. To him, everything looked quite strange.

"What do you know about muggle clothes?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing?" responded Draco, as though it didn't matter.

"Exactly, I'm the muggle girl so you should wear what I say," said Hermione with a grin. After learning his clothing sizes, she began walking around the shop taking shirts, pants and jackets that she thought would look good on him. He protested a few of them, but after a while just let her choose. He rarely went shopping even for wizarding clothes. He preferred shopping for Quidditch gear and new racing brooms, or joke and prank objects like the ones from 'Weasley's Wizarding Weezes', which was the only good thing the Weasley family had ever come up with, in his opinion.

"So what exactly was Ron saying when I was in the shower?" asked Hermione curiously as she inspected a nice looking jacket.

"Going on about me being a Death Eater spy, which is ridiculous because he doesn't know anything about it," Draco answered, leaning against the wall beside her.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Hermione, glancing at him.

"Forget it," said Draco shortly. He didn't want to tell Hermione all about his personal worries and family issues. They might be getting along, but they weren't close enough for that. Hermione suspected that he was keeping things to himself. It made sense. She hadn't told him anything about her parents and where they were either. But she did know that he wasn't a spy, because at Malfoy Manor he and his parents were treated terribly. And the main reason he agreed to join them was to help his parents.

"Well... if you ever feel like it, you can talk to me about it," suggested Hermione, glancing at him. Her openness and willingness to just talk about anything with him was surprising. He simply nodded in understanding, and she continued inspecting clothes. He later tried on some of the muggle clothing, feeling completely foolish.

"What is with muggles and vibrant colours? If it's red or yellow, I'm not wearing it. Black, white or dark green," Draco was ranting at one point, causing Hermione to burst out laughing.

"We aren't at Hogwarts, Malfoy. The colour of your clothes doesn't really matter."

"Well we're going to Hogwarts, aren't we?" Draco quipped.

"I guess so," said Hermione with a slight smile.

"And is this jacket considered expensive by a muggles standards?" Draco asked with distaste, indicating towards the jacket she'd picked out for him.

"Not really? It's just middle of the range..." Hermione said, as if it wasn't important.

"Do I look like a 'middle of the range' kind of guy to you, Granger? I want the most expensive clothes," Draco demanded.

"Oh, and you're going to pay for these expensive clothes with what money?" Hermione asked with a laugh.

"Who said anything about paying? We're here to take clothes, not pay for them."

"We're not thieves, Malfoy!" said Hermione crossly. As she glanced at the amount of clothes she'd picked out for him, and a few for herself as well, she realised she wouldn't even be able to afford what they had. Draco could tell what she was thinking, and smirked.

"We should at least leave some money," she said at last.

"Why? They're only muggles," said Draco in exasperation.

"Stop talking about them like they're inferior, Malfoy!" said Hermione, casting him an angry glare.

"But they are. We're magical, we should take what we want," he retorted.

"That's just wrong. I'll leave a hundred pounds," decided Hermione, leaving they money beside the cash register. She knew that was nowhere near enough, but at least they weren't just taking it for nothing. And that was almost all the muggle money she had left. Draco shook his head with a mutter of, 'totally unnecessary, Granger...' as they put on the Invisibility cloak and left the shop with bags full of clothes. The sun was getting quite low and it was already beginning to get dark, so they clasped hands and quickly apparated back to the tent.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	11. Chapter 11

When they returned to the tent Draco quickly went in for a shower. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat in the living room and decided how they would get into Hogwarts more in-depth. The plan was relatively straight forward though, and there wasn't much to talk about. Harry and Ron would be under the Invisibility cloak, Hermione and Draco would be under the Disillusionment blanket, and they would all apparate into Hogsmeade the next morning. From there they would sneak into the Honeydukes basement and use the underground passage to get into Hogwarts. Then they would split into pairs and search for the Elder Wand and any horcruxes. While it was a simple plan, there was also a significant degree of risk. Students and teachers would be swarming the corridors, and there were at least three Death Eaters at Hogwarts: Snape and the two Carrow's. After they'd agreed on the plan, Ron changed the subject.

"So, did you and Malfoy have fun shopping together?" he asked in a mockingly pleasant voice. It was obvious that he was angry about it. Harry gave Ron a warning glance, silently willing him to be quiet.

"Yes we did," replied Hermione simply.

"You seem to like being alone with him," continued Ron casually.

"Is it a crime to go shopping now?" Hermione snapped. She knew where the conversation was heading.

"With him it is, yes!" shouted Ron, pointing towards the bathroom door.

"Ron, be quiet," warned Harry, looking at the entrance to the tent cautiously. But the other two paid no attention to him.

"You need to grow up Ron!"

"I was right from the start, you're fraternising with the ferret!"

"Maybe if you guys didn't fight so much I wouldn't want to leave the tent all the time!" Hermione yelled in reply.

"He starts the fights on purpose-"

"I'm sick of arguing over this-"

"Both of you, be quiet!" hissed Harry as he stood up and drew his wand. Everything went silent as they followed Harry's line of sight and looked towards the entrance of the tent. Even the shower had stopped, so they could clearly hear the crunching of snow from outside. Hermione's eyes widened in fear as she too stood up and drew her wand. They began to hear voices drifting towards the tent, voices that still haunted Hermione. It seemed that the snatchers were getting better at finding people. The crunching sound of footsteps on snow was drawing closer by the second.

"Did you put up protective enchantments?" whispered Hermione, looking at Harry. He shook his head, using his wand to magically pack everything in the small bag. They would either have to fight or run, and quickly. Hermione couldn't believe her ears. How could they have forgotten to put up protective enchantments? They wouldn't last two days by themselves, Hermione thought furiously as she moved towards the bathroom. Ron began helping Harry to pack everything of importance.

"Malfoy! Hurry up!" Hermione hissed into the crack of the door.

"Calm down Granger, I'll be out in a second," replied his voice from inside. Clearly he had no idea what was going on, and they didn't have any time to waste. They needed to leave, immediately.

"We heard shouting, come out with your hands up!" came a voice from outside the tent. Hermione was absolutely terrified at that point, so she quickly unlocked the bathroom door and opened it. Draco was only wearing jeans and no shirt, and he looked up in surprise.

"Merlin, someone's eager," he smirked in amusement.

"S-snatchers are here, we have to go!" said Hermione quickly, running in and grabbing his things. With no time to think, Draco followed her back into the living room where Harry and Ron were waiting with their wands pointing at the entrance. They'd put the lights out, and all was pitch black as Draco raised his own wand. They waited in frightened silence as the sound of crunching snow began to circle the tent.

"On the count of three, shoot spells and hold hands," Hermione whispered. They all nodded, although it was hard to see any movement at all in the darkness. Once Draco's spare clothes were in the small bag as well, Hermione held his hand and raised her wand.

"One... two..."

"This is your last chance to come out!" growled the voice.

"Three!" hissed Hermione, and her voice was instantly followed by an explosion of colour. Hermione waved her wand and took the tent down instantly with the counter spell of 'Erecto', while the other three shot continuous spells of red and green. Shouts from the snatchers filled the air as they returned the spells, but before they could fully react the four of them had clasped hands and vanished from the spot.

\----------

Their hearts were pounding as they collapsed on a hill together. It was still dark wherever they ended up, which added to their fear and panic. They all cast 'Lumos' and ignited the hill with bright wandlight, breathing hard and looking at each other. Hermione looked beside herself with frustration. Harry and Ron had made so many mistakes. Back in school their mistakes were overlooked because being in a classroom wasn't exactly a life and death situation. But in their current circumstances, mistakes could result in death. Them forgetting how to put up the tent with magic almost led her to bleed to death. All four of them had nearly just been captured because Harry and Ron either forgot or were too lazy to put up protective enchantments when they first arrived.

"Set up the tent, and this time use 'Erecto' so that we're not standing out here for twenty minutes," Hermione said furiously, glaring at Harry who was holding the bag. Realisation dawned on his face as he remembered how to magically put the tent up. While they did that, Hermione circled the area and put up protective enchantments to make sure they wouldn't be found again so easily. Once the tent was up, they all entered, ignited the fire and put the lights back on.

"What the fuck just happened?" demanded Draco, still only wearing jeans and shivering slightly without a shirt on. He snatched the bag off Harry and searched for a muggle shirt that Hermione had gotten him.

"Yes, what did just happen?" agreed Hermione as she glared at Harry and Ron.

"We forgot to put up the enchantments, so what?" said Ron, shrugging slightly.

"SO WHAT?" screeched Hermione incredulously.

"We were in the middle of nowhere Hermione..." Harry tried to explain.

"You put up protective enchantments no matter where you are, do you realise how close we just were to being caught?" she continued, getting louder and louder. Draco could tell that this was the final straw, and he watched as the three best friends quarrelled.

"It was just a mistake!" said Harry exasperatedly.

"I almost died yesterday because of your mistakes, or have you forgotten that as well?" screamed Hermione.

"You can't just blame us, Malfoy forgot too," Ron said defensively.

"I never knew about your enchantments Weasley, you idiot," snarled Draco in return.

"There's no one else to blame but yourselves! I can't believe how careless you both are!" said Hermione as her eyes began to well up.

"We're okay now and that's all that matters," said Harry, although he looked quite hurt.

"No Harry, I'm not okay. You have no idea what I went through when the snatchers caught me last time. I never want that to happen again," said Hermione, her voice breaking into a sob as she turned away from them and headed to the bedroom. There was an eerie silence after the door slammed. Draco considered going in there to avoid being around the other two. But he'd never seen Hermione so angry and emotional, so he wasn't sure if it was safe to follow her straight away. It was true, however, that he agreed with everything she had said. The silence continued to lengthen until Draco decided that an emotional Hermione had to be better than her friends.

"I'm on her side," he said over his shoulder as he walked to his and Hermione's bedroom, and opened the door. When he entered, he saw Hermione sitting on her bed with her knees against her chest.

"Get out," she sobbed as he closed the door behind himself.

"No," Draco answered, getting up onto the top bunk bed.

"I don't want you here," continued Hermione weakly.

"Well then you should have locked the door," replied Draco, leaning back against his pillows with a slight smirk. There was silence as Hermione sighed, not bothering to argue further.

"Are you going to sleep? I want to turn the light out," said Draco, breaking the silence.

"No, I came in here to cry," answered Hermione from below him. Draco raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Well... can you cry in the dark?" he asked, trying not to snicker as he said it.

"NO Malfoy!" answered Hermione stubbornly. Draco sighed as he considered what to say. He understood why she was upset, he'd had his fair share of friendship and relationship issues. At Hogwarts he had to listen to people like Pansy Parkinson and Blaize Zabini go on and on about all of their problems. Slytherin's naturally stuck to a tight-nit group of friends, and sticking close to ones closest friends was of utmost importance. While Harry and Ron never talked about girls and Hermione never talked about boys, the Slytherin's were the opposite, they talked about anything and everything. And just like Hermione had been saying since the beginning, the four of them had to get along somehow, or else they were going to be miserable.

"If it helps, everything you said was right. Maybe they'll get the message now and start thinking straight," suggested Draco aloud.

"I suppose. I hope I didn't hurt their feelings... but I'm just so sick of everything, I always have to do all the work," said Hermione in frustration.

"Imagine being out here with Crabbe and Goyle. After six years at Hogwarts, Greg still can't cast 'Lumos', and he learned to read in our third year," Draco snickered, remembering how truly stupid his two best friends were. Hermione laughed a bit, she could actually remember that one of them didn't know how to read when they were little.

"Which one was Greg?" she asked.

"Goyle, the taller one. Crabbe was the fat one. They may have been complete retards, and all of Gryffindor probably hated them, but they were hilarious to be around," said Draco. He had no idea why he was telling Hermione all this, but she wasn't crying any more and it was one of the first proper conversations they'd ever had.

"Do you miss them?" asked Hermione curiously. She noticed that his voice was kind of sad when he spoke about them.

"Well, how would you feel if you were stuck here with me, Crabbe and Goyle, setting out to kill an evil Dumbledore, while Harry and Ron were having the time of their lives at Hogwarts for a year?" asked Draco, trying to sound like he was joking, but Hermione realised that that was probably exactly how Draco felt.

"That would actually be really scary," said Hermione honestly, feeling a pang of sympathy for him.

"It's just strange. And frustrating, because of Potter and Weasley," Draco said. He lied slightly there: it actually was really scary. Joining his enemies, camping out in the middle of nowhere, going to Hogwarts which is filled with students, teachers and three Death Eaters... setting out to kill Voldemort while not knowing whether his parents were dead or alive. Yes, it was scary. But at least he had a chance to change things, for better or for worse. They turned the lights out and talked for a while longer until they were both tired enough to fall asleep.

\----------

The next morning they had toast for breakfast and spent the rest of the time packing the tent and everything else into the small enchanted bag. It felt strange to be returning to Hogwarts again, mainly because they knew they would be sneaking in from an underground passage, and not arriving by train. Once everything was packed, Hermione took out the Invisibility cloak and blanket. Then she lead the way up to the top of a hill, and Harry and Ron put their Invisibility cloak on. They vanished completely from sight. Hermione got out the blanket, which now was translucent, and put it over herself. Draco nodded.

"I can barely see you, it's almost invisible," he said in satisfaction, "good work."

"Thanks," Hermione smiled, taking it off her and turning to see Harry and Ron take off their cloak.

"Okay, we'll apparate in our pairs. Remember to try and get as close to Honeydukes as possible. If we can't see each other, stick your foot out from under the cloak and whisper something," said Hermione, though she doubted that would work.

"We better not lose each other," said Harry, casting a cold glare at Draco before throwing the cloak back over him and Ron. Hermione did the same, covering herself and Draco. The blanket was smaller, and they had to be almost hugging to stay completely underneath it.

"Three, two, one," said Hermione, turning on the spot and disapparating from the hill whilst holding hands with Draco. They went through the uncomfortable feeling of being sucked through a rubber tube, and re-appeared a moment later down an alleyway, nearly falling over. They had to hold on to each other to regain their balance, laughing slightly as they did so. Then they attempted to stay quiet as they looked around to see where they were.

"This is beside Honeydukes," whispered Draco, and he pointed where to go. It was awkward and hard to walk being so close to each other, and they had to make sure not to step on the blanket as well. With many muffled laughs and tripping on each other's feet, they reached the front of Honeydukes. On the windows there were no longer bright, colourful signs and pictures of chocolates and sweets. Instead there were Wanted posters of Harry, Ron, Hermione and other muggle-borns on the run. The shop looked hauntingly grim, like every other shop on the street. Everything was smashed, dark and gloomy. Hermione saw the door of Honeydukes open outwards, but there was no-one there, so she knew it was Harry and Ron. Hurrying forwards as fast as they could, they reached the door and slipped in as well. Hermione was right the day before: it was much warmer under the blanket. The problem was, it was a hot day, and two people stumbling along under a blanket created a lot of warmth. They wandered into the shop, slowly slipping past the lady at the counter.

"Alohamora," murmured Harry's voice from ahead, and they saw the basement door unlock and creak open. They held the door open for Hermione and Draco, who followed them invisibly. Then the door closed, and they re-locked it.

"You go first, Harry, you know the way best," Hermione whispered into the air, the trapdoor a few feet away.

"Okay," came Harry's whisper, as they pulled their cloaks off. Harry opened the trap door and went down first. After him, they all went down one at a time into the underground passage. To be safe, they closed the trapdoor behind them and got under their cloaks again. They stumbled along the passage without any light, for what felt like ages. Hermione could feel herself sweating under the now hot blanket.

"I think a blanket would've been better during the night, not the day," whispered Draco, seeming to read her mind.

"Agreed," Hermione whispered back. They heard Ron snicker from ahead. The minutes ticked by slowly as they continued stumbling through the long, dark passage.

\----------

"We're approaching the end," whispered Harry from in front of them, nearly twenty minutes later.

"Finally."

"Thank god."

"Have a quick break," said Hermione quietly, pushing the blanket off. The cool air of the underground passage felt great, and they relaxed against the stone walls. They had to begin moving again a few minutes later, however. Harry and Ron went under their cloak, and prepared to move the statue of the one-eyed witch.

"It's going to be even hotter up there in the castle," whispered Draco, groaning slightly.

"I know. Give me a second," said Hermione quietly, taking off her long-sleeved shirt. Underneath she was wearing a plain white singlet. Draco couldn't help but glance at her slender figure, something he'd never seen during their Hogwarts days due to the baggy robes every student wore.

"Ready?" she asked, holding the blanket up.

"Oh, yeah," said Draco, doing his best to act as though he hadn't just been checking her out. Hermione seemed to find this amusing since only days ago he probably would have smirked and said something to annoy her. She smiled and put the blanket back over them, preparing to move into the halls of Hogwarts. Even though she'd attended Hogwarts for six years, her heart was thudding against her chest as she re-entered it again. The same thing was happening to the other three beside her. Harry was nervous because Hogwarts was the closest thing to a home for him, and he was going to see Dumbledore's grave again. Ron was nervous because he had a chance to see his little sister again. Draco was nervous because every student in the castle thought he was a Death Eater, and the Carrow's would surely kill him if they saw him.

"Dissendium," murmured Harry from in front of them. The statue moved aside, and they had to shield their eyes from the light of the corridor. Hermione and Draco drew close again as they began walking, and Harry moved the statue back into place when they'd passed through. It appeared that they'd been lucky, as there was no one around to see the statue move.

"We're on the third floor. Dumbledore's grave is out on the grounds. We can't see each other, so just meet up at the grave," Hermione whispered quietly.

"What if something goes wrong?" came Ron's anxious whisper. It took a few moments for someone to reply.

"Room of Requirement. If you get into trouble, hide there," whispered Harry.

"And after that?" Ron continued.

"If everything goes wrong, we meet up again at The Burrow. Just get out of Hogwarts by any means necessary and disapparate. Good luck, see you on the grounds," Hermione whispered, the other two also wishing her good luck. Unable to see the other two, Hermione and Draco set off in their own direction. They were huddled close together and moving carefully to avoid stumbling. It normally took a while to reach the grounds from the third floor. Doing it in broad daylight with students and teachers walking around meant that it would take even longer and be even more dangerous.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	12. Chapter 12

They were on the second floor when they heard the thundering sound of footsteps coming through the corridors. It sounded extraordinarily loud, since Hermione and Draco had been as quiet as possible so far and everyone had been in class. But now students were pouring out of classrooms in every direction.

"Oh no, we need to hide!" whispered Hermione, panicking. They stumbled to a wall, and crouched, praying no one would walk into them. As soon as the last student left the classroom next to them, they tip-toed through the door into the classroom. The teacher they saw was not the best one to be hiding in a room with, however. Amycus Carrow stood behind his desk, packing away that lessons papers. The door slammed shut and Hermione gasped aloud, both in fright from the door slamming and shock at seeing the Death Eater as a teacher. The Carrow looked up, his black eyes squinting.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice filled with authority. His eyes darted and squinted again, and he seemed to be looking right at them.

"I know you're there, I can see something shimmer. Bloody kids, think you can sneak up on me!" he shouted angrily, taking out his wand.

"Run!" hissed Draco, opening the door to let her out first. He followed, slamming the door shut behind him as a spell smashed against it. All caution was forgotten as Draco took the translucent blanket and shoved it in the bag Hermione was carrying. They sprinted, dodging surprised Hufflepuff students, back towards the stairs.

"We've got to get to the Room of Requirement!" called Hermione, who was far behind Draco. They'd just reached an empty corridor, so he slowed down and grabbed her hand. Together they sprinted, reaching the third floor in seconds. Draco was much faster and could have outran her at any moment, so Hermione was grateful that he kept in pace with her. Behind them they could hear Amycus shouting and screaming, demanding them to stop or else they'll be in detention for months. Hermione could have laughed at the threat of detention, if their situation wasn't so perilous.

"Crucio!" came another voice, a female voice. The spell hit the wall beside Hermione, causing her to scream and run faster. Draco turned and realised that Alecto had joined the chase. Alecto and Amycus, the Carrow twins. He'd had enough experience with them as a Death Eater to know not to get on their bad side. They looked beside themselves with fury. They reached the fifth floor, and Draco was practically pulling Hermione by her arm to make them go faster. Since the Carrow's were both short and plump, they had no problem outrunning them even at Hermione's pace. He pulled his wand out with his other hand, and began shooting stunning spells over his shoulder, hoping to get a lucky hit. They reached the seventh floor after minutes of running, out of breath, and ran down a straight corridor. Surprisingly, Amycus had managed to keep up.

"Stupefy!" screamed the Death Eater furiously. The red flash of light hit its mark, hitting Hermione directly in the back. She was thrown forward, landing hard onto the stone corridor. Draco swore in panic, turning around. He couldn't leave her... he could die defending her, but at the same time he could die at the hands of the Order of the Phoenix for abandoning her.

"Protego!" Draco shouted, casting the shielding spell over himself and Hermione's body. The next stunning spell that Amycus sent towards them smashed against the shimmering magical shield.

"Reducto!" shouted Draco next, blasting the wall beside the Death Eater apart, causing the rubble to knock Amycus to the ground. The Death Eater was buried under stones and rock, and was struggling to move. Draco acted quickly, putting his wand away and lifting Hermione's unconscious body off the ground. He began running again, slower this time, and he turned a corner and was on the corridor of the Room of Requirement. He could hear Alecto's screams of fury, but he blocked that out and thought desperately, 'I need a place to hide something... I need a place to hide something... I need a place to hide something...'

"Yes," whispered Draco gratefully, as the wall transformed into large double-doors. He kicked them open and ran in, slamming them shut and magically locking them. From outside in the corridor, the doors would quickly vanish, and he would be safe. He waited a few seconds, listening, but could hear nothing. He'd made it. The room was huge, and filled with the junk of generations after generations of old Hogwarts students. He remembered his miserable time in this room. As he walked further into the piles of junk, he saw the Vanishing Cabinet that he had mended the year before. Memories of tirelessly working in here, long into the night, came to his mind. He'd been proud of his accomplishment in fixing the Vanishing Cabinet, something that was considered impossible. His pride was shattered however when all of his work ultimately led to the tragic invasion of Hogwarts. Looking away from the cabinet, he continued walking with Hermione in his arms. If the Carrow's managed to find this room, he'd want to be hidden inside of it, which wasn't hard, considering all the twists and turns and hiding places. It was large enough to get lost in. He looked down at Hermione's calm, pretty face as he carried her. Despite everything he'd learned as a kid, despite all his father had told him about muggle-borns and mudbloods, he liked the girl in front of him, as a friend, though he knew he shouldn't have. Once he'd walked far enough to be safely hidden, he placed her on the ground and leaned her head on the bag as if it were a pillow, and pointed his wand at her.

"Rennervate," Draco murmured, the spell awaking her from unconsciousness. Her eyes opened drowsily and she looked around with a pained expression.

"What happened?" she asked, looking at Draco kneeling beside her.

"You got stunned, I knocked Amycus out and carried you here," said Draco, with a proud smirk. She glanced around, realising that they must be in the Room of Requirement.

"You carried me?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Well, you were unconscious and I knew Alecto was going to come and probably kill you, so..." said Draco quickly, but he stopped explaining when he saw her smile.

"It's fine... thanks. I just didn't expect you to do something like that," she said thoughtfully, looking him in the eyes. He shrugged, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Do you think a horcrux is somewhere in here?" asked Draco, quickly changing the subject.

"Why? Is this place big?" Hermione asked, sitting up. She gasped in pain, holding her forehead.

"Are you okay?" said Draco, looking at her in concern.

"Yeah, it just hurts probably from being stunned and woken up again," said Hermione, slowly standing up. She seemed so fragile and delicate wearing only a singlet, and her left arm seemed to be bruising from where she'd fallen on the stone corridor.

"You look a bit dizzy, Granger. Perhaps you should sit," Draco suggested, but she shook her head.

"No, it's fine. Just give me a hand, let's look for a horcrux," said Hermione, holding his arm for balance.

"I fixed the Vanishing Cabinet in here," said Draco grimly as they started walking.

"Bad memories?" asked Hermione curiously, noticing a hint of gloominess in his voice. He just nodded.

"Well, let's focus on finding the horcrux instead. Look for something out of the ordinary," she continued, looking in all directions as they walked. They had to step over all sorts of junk littered along the ground, and Hermione found herself leaning on Draco for balance.

"A cup, maybe he hid it here... or a diadem. What on earth does a diadem look like?" said Draco out loud, trying to imagine what it was.

"I think it's like a tiara, she would have put it on her head," said Hermione, pretending to put a tiara on her head. Draco smirked at her.

"What? It is! Look, like this thing here," Hermione continued with a smile, letting go of his arm and moving towards an old cupboard. On top of it was a dusty wig, and what looked like an ancient, discoloured tiara. She reached up on the tip of her toes and gingerly took it down, marvelling at its beauty. She turned, and was about to put it on her head.

"No Granger, wait! Look closer, I don't think that's an ordinary tiara," said Draco urgently as he rushed to her side. They both inspected it, and Hermione gently pushed away most of the dust and read the tiny inscription on it.

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!" she gasped, her eyes widening. In her hands was Ravenclaw's Diadem. A horcrux... no wonder she had a sudden urge to put it on. Not because it was beautiful, but because of the evil magic inside of it that was luring her in.

"Gosh Malfoy, if you hadn't stopped me! Who knows what it would have done. Harry had Slytherin's locket around his neck and it nearly strangled him to death underwater," said Hermione, now holding the diadem at a careful distance, as though it might bite at any moment.

"I don't blame it, I wouldn't like being around his neck either," Draco sneered. She glared at him, so he continued, "lets grab the sword."

They made their way back to the bag, Draco holding the diadem this time. He, like Hermione, was experiencing a strange urge to see what it felt like to wear the ancient diadem. Hermione reached the bag and searched through it, making sure not to cut herself when she found the sword. She withdrew the great sword by the hilt a few seconds later. It shined brightly, the great ruby in the hilt glittering in a brilliant array of red and crimson. Draco dropped the diadem, letting it clatter to the ground. They stared at it, then at each other.

"You do it," said Hermione, offering him the sword.

"No way, Granger. You're the Gryffindor, Dumbledore left this 'mission' thing to you," said Draco, shaking his head.

"Malfoy! We're in this together now, you're a part of it. Harry and Ron have already destroyed something, and I'll destroy the cup," said Hermione, the sword still extended towards him. Deep down, she wanted him to do it, because that would confirm the fact that he was a good person. That he was against evil, and truly against You-Know-Who. Maybe it would inspire him to work with them more. He took a deep breath, then sighed and took the sword from her. He glanced at her for reassurance, and she nodded, encouraging him to proceed. As he looked down at the diadem however, it gleamed up at him beautifully. His will to destroy it was fading the longer he looked at it... he shook his head, and raised the sword. Suddenly, the inscription flashed and it's words screeched in his mind: "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure!" The sword grew heavy in his arms; Hermione noticed that his hands were shaking. It took all of his strength to swing it downwards, and a moment later they were both blinded by a white light as the diadem shattered into pieces. Hermione looked up at Draco and noticed a hint of shock in his silver-grey eyes, but his hands were no longer shaking: they were firm as they clutched Gryffindor's sword.

"One down. Well done," said Hermione with a satisfied smile.

"Don't get too happy. Now we've got to get out of here," Draco muttered.

\----------

They had been there for ten minutes, thinking of ideas on how they could escape. They attempted to think of a secret way out of Hogwarts, but the Room of Requirement couldn't magically make an underground tunnel for them. They had to find something it could produce, something it could create inside the room. Then it came to Draco.

"Brooms!" he said excitedly, filled with newfound energy.

"Uh no Malfoy, I can't fly, really," said Hermione, beginning to panic.

"I thought you were good at everything Granger," smirked Draco, setting off through the giant room to find abandoned brooms hidden by Hogwarts students.

"I'm not good at everything! And I'm not joking Malfoy, I have a fear of flying and heights! I've only been on a broom once in my entire life," said Hermione, following him through the mountains of junk. He turned, looking at her in disbelief.

"Yeah right. Potter and Weasel love Quidditch, you've definitely been on a broom more than once," he said, beginning to search again. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Think hard, Malfoy. When have you ever seen me on a broom?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips. He looked at her again, frowning slightly.

"Well, I have lots of memories of you flying around in the library," Draco smirked. Hermione smacked him on the arm playfully.

"I'm right though, aren't I? You've never seen me on a broom. The last time I flew was earlier this year, and that was with someone else flying because we were in pairs. We weren't even on a broom, we were on a Thestral. All I did was hold on, and it was terrifying," Hermione recounted to him as the memories returned to her. It was when she'd had to have Polyjuice potion to turn into Harry, so that there were seven Harry's, and she'd flown on the Thestral with Kingsley.

"No wonder you're scared of flying, I wouldn't go anywhere on a bloody Thestral. Besides, you've got no choice, it's our only way out of here, Granger. Die here, or fly away," said Draco with a shrug as he continued searching.

"You're not understanding me, Malfoy. Do you have some sort of fear? Like snakes, or spiders, perhaps?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Snakes are cool, but spiders are pretty creepy, I guess," said Draco sharply, looking around as if a spider might be sneaking up on him.

"Well I have a fear of flying and heights. I haven't flown on a broom, by myself, for nearly six years. There is no way I'm doing it now, and in case you haven't noticed, we're on the seventh floor. Do you have any idea how high this tower is?" said Hermione exasperatedly.

"Aha! Found one, looks old though," said Draco, pushing things aside and pulling out an ancient, dusty broom.

"Malfoy are you even listening to me?" Hermione hissed.

"Just an old Shooting Star, it'll be heaps slow. Nothing like my Nimbus," said Draco proudly, as he began searching for a second broom.

"Ugh! You are so frustrating sometimes!" said Hermione, sitting down grumpily as he moved further into the pile of junk.

"Granger, I honestly don't know what to say to you. It is the only way we're getting out of here," said Draco, looking at her in amusement. Hermione found it incredibly annoying, how he seemed to ignore everyone else's fears and act so uncaring. Yet, she was sympathetic towards him when he was obviously scared of helping them defeat Voldemort.

"I know that. But I'm not flying a broom on my own. Not only am I scared of it, I haven't actually done it in six years – how do you expect me to suddenly jump on like all you Quidditch guys and just keep up without getting myself killed?" demanded Hermione. He seemed to have found something else, and was digging through the junk.

"I dunno what you're suggesting," he called over his shoulder, clearly uninterested in what she had said. "Oh yes! A Nimbus!"

"My God," Hermione muttered, shaking her head.

"You can go on the Nimbus, it'll help you keep up with me," said Draco with a wink as he walked back to her with the brooms. She simply glared up at him from where she was sitting.

"I am NOT flying by myself!" said Hermione adamantly. Draco sighed.

"If I go on the Nimbus, I'll end up having an accident. The only way we're escaping this place is if we're both on one broom," she continued firmly, crossing her arms. They made eye contact, staring at each other for a few moments.

"You're not going to change your mind, are you?" asked Draco.

"No."

"Fine then, we'll both go on the Nimbus," he said reluctantly, putting the Shooting Star down. Hermione stood up at that to go and get the bag, but he noticed that she seemed incredibly nervous. Draco had to admit, he did feel sorry for her. But it was the only way they could escape, and he couldn't sugar-coat it. Hermione returned a few moments later with the bag, looking somewhat pale.

"You'd want to get a jumper on over your singlet, it's going to be cold up in the air," Draco warned, and she nodded, getting him a jumper as well. Once they were warm, they got their wands out and prepared to leave at a run. If anyone was guarding the exit, they would have to fight their way out. But the Room of Requirement usually changed the exit to benefit the user, like it did for Dumbledore's Army so they could sneak past Filch in the night. The Room did the same for Hermione and Draco, because when they burst out of the room looking left and right, no one was waiting for them. They could hear talking from down the corridor, so they moved in the opposite direction. There was a large window directly ahead, appearing to Draco like a beacon of light and freedom. His eyes were sharp and calculating as he stared at it.

"No, no way," whispered Hermione, shaking her head. She knew exactly what he was thinking.

"We'll have to fly through it, Granger. We don't have time to find a balcony or something to fly off," hissed Draco, preparing himself. The talking stopped, and they heard footsteps from the corridor behind them.

"Now! Start running and jump on the broom!" urged Draco, beginning to run. Hermione followed out of sheer desperation, whilst every fibre of her being screamed to stop. It seemed like an impossible plan to fly down a stone corridor, through a glass window, and live to tell the tale.

"Is that them? It is, get them!" shouted a voice from behind them. Right at the last moment, Draco grabbed Hermione around the waist and lifted her onto the broom, causing her to hold on with a scream. He jumped on behind her and kicked off, boosting towards the window with incredible speed. The window grew larger and larger with every terrifying heartbeat.

"Reducto!" shouted Draco, blasting apart both the window and the wall around it, creating a gaping hole in the side of the tower. They flew through the rubble a moment later and were out in the clear sky. Red streaks of light followed them out into the sky, but Draco had already turned and was shooting from the castle like a bullet from a gun.

"Oh my god, oh my god, I can't believe you did that to me," Hermione was saying, her eyes tight shut. She didn't want to look down to see where they were. The movements of the broom were giving her intense butterflies and causing her stomach to churn. Draco was sitting behind her, his hands right behind hers, guiding the broom handle this way and that. Her knuckles were white and he could feel her entire body shaking.

"Granger, open your eyes. Nothing terrifying is happening, we're just flying," said Draco, smirking at how scared she was. He heard an ear-splitting scream, and guessed that she must have opened her eyes.

"Well, we are kind of high," he continued guiltily, looking down.

"Go lower!" said Hermione frantically. He dipped the handle downwards and boosted towards the earth, causing her to scream and lean backwards into him. The broom levelled out again, and they were pressed firmly together.

"I know you want to get close, Granger, but don't lean too far back or I might fall off," said Draco sarcastically.

"I hate you," Hermione groaned.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	13. Chapter 13

The flying eventually became more and more calm, as they flew in amongst the clouds to avoid being seen. Hermione had gotten used to it, and was marvelling at the steadiness of a broom if flown properly. It was much more relaxing than a Hippogriff or a Thestral. After seeing a Seeker play in a game of Quidditch, she promised herself she would never get on a broom with someone like Harry or Draco. Hermione appreciated the fact that Draco did his best to fly slowly and steadily. He wasn't purposefully doing scary and bizarre somersaults and tricks, like she'd expected him to.

"Do you think Harry and Ron are okay? Do you think they escaped as well?" asked Hermione anxiously. Once again she was separated from her two best friends, only this time they might have been the ones who got captured.

"I don't really care," Draco snorted in reply, making her turn around and glare at him. "But they most likely did. They went a different way to us, and the Carrow's were after us the entire time, remember?"

"Yeah. I hope you're right," said Hermione, turning to face the front.

"Granger, you really need a haircut," said Draco from behind her, trying to see where he was going. Her hair was flying behind her rapidly in the wind, and she turned to look over her shoulder again. As she did so, she made eye contact with Draco and saw that her hair was whipping him in the face slightly. Hermione burst out laughing, facing forwards again in embarrassment. Draco shook his head, a smile forming on his lips as he tried to concentrate on flying.

"I can hold the broom while you get a hair band out of my bag," said Hermione. He slowly let go, and the broom wobbled a bit as Hermione took control, but she kept it steady enough.

"I'm trusting you, Granger..." said Draco with a smirk. They both remembered the time when Hermione had said that while giving him his wand back, and how cautious she was. She laughed, but then stopped as the broom started wobbling again. It took almost all of her concentration just to fly in a straight line. It amazed her how people like Draco could do back-flips and fly upside down without even using their arms, which he'd done in a match against Harry to show off. Draco held on with his thighs and feet, which were pressed against the brooms foot-pegs. Years of practice made flying a broom without holding on feel natural. And since Hermione was leaning back into Draco, she just had her feet on his and held on. He searched the bag, and it took nearly two whole minutes to find a hair band because of everything else inside.

"Here," said Draco, holding it out in front of her. Her hands were frozen to the broom, however. She hadn't moved an inch since they started flying. This was probably due to the fact that they'd been flying in freezing cold clouds since they escaped.

"Um, can you do it?" asked Hermione shyly. Draco raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't mind. He gently wove his hands through her hair, and pulled it into a long ponytail to stop it from whipping him in the face. Then he awkwardly tried to use the hair band.

"I dunno how girls do this so fast," he said in annoyance. Hermione giggled and gave him some tips, and a moment later he'd got it right. He moved the ponytail over her shoulder and onto her chest so that it wouldn't blow backwards, and then held onto the broom again.

"Thanks. My hands are so cold," said Hermione with a groan.

"Yeah, that's why in Quidditch gloves are used... can you move them?" asked Draco, poking her arm with a smirk.

"No, they're like frozen," Hermione replied, ignoring his poke and holding in a smile.

"Well, you've got to warm them up," said Draco, placing his hands over hers. She looked over her shoulder, a nervous smile forming on her lips.

"Thanks," said Hermione cheerfully as she looked forwards again. The flight went on with them leaning against each other on the broom and Hermione telling him which direction to fly in to reach The Burrow.

\----------

After at least a few hours of flying, they finally reached The Burrow. Hermione had almost fallen asleep during the flight, and it was nearly night when they arrived. Stars were forming in the late afternoon sky, and they were both starving. Though they couldn't see The Burrow at first, they saw the Lovegood's house and the giant hill, so they knew that they were in the right spot. They landed on the nearby hill slowly, and The Burrow magically materialised in front of them. All of the house lights were on, lighting up the area. Hermione's hands were gripping the broomstick tightly, and she looked relieved at being on flat ground.

"Need help getting off? Some people's hands can get jarred or frozen into position," said Draco, looking at her small, gripping white hands. She slowly took one off, her hand cracking slightly. Draco smirked and cast a Hot-Air charm on her hands to help warm them up. Once warm enough, Hermione slowly let go of the broom and flexed her hands painfully. Looking towards The Burrow, she glimpsed three figures running towards them. Draco put the racing broom over his shoulder and followed Hermione down the hill to meet the running figures, which turned out to be Harry, Ron and Tonks.

"Thank god you made it Hermione! We apparated out like you said, expecting you to be here," said Ron, hugging her affectionately. Draco watched on, a flicker of jealously mixing with the clear dislike. He was jealous again. The Weasel could hug her in front of everyone, they were all friends, they knew which side they were on. No one cared that he had lived and returned to The Burrow, and he didn't really expect them to. But it was natural human instinct to want to belong, and he clearly didn't. Even Tonks gave him a dirty look, though he'd never met her, which startled him slightly. As they began walking back to the house, oblivious of him, he sat down on the hillside next to his broom instead of following. He couldn't understand why he felt so conflicted. Then, as Hermione turned around to look at him, he knew. It was her. If not for her, he would be back at Malfoy Manor. He'd be being ordered around by Voldemort, torturing innocent people, or still locked in the cellar. Or he would be a prisoner at The Burrow. But she'd given him a chance to join her in defeating Voldemort, she'd given him a chance to redeem himself. It seemed like more than he deserved. Hermione looked at him for a moment, before Harry tugged on her arm and they entered the house.

"What are you doing?" Draco muttered aloud to himself, shaking his head. He shouldn't have been so nice to her, he shouldn't have let himself like her so much. It was obvious that Ron liked her, and she wouldn't reject him: he was her best friend. He stayed out on the hillside, dreading going inside more and more as the minutes passed by. Then he saw a figure leave and walk towards him. It was Tonks. He squinted at her hair, it was purple, but it shifted colours slightly as she moved.

"I know why you're here. Hermione's told me a lot about you," said Tonks, glaring down at him. He looked up at her with a confused expression.

"Tonks, is it? I don't know you, and to be honest I don't give a damn what you have to say," began Draco, responding to her glare with equal dislike.

"You know, I was the one who found Harry with a broken nose on the train in his sixth year! You're a coward to do something like that," Tonks burst out suddenly, looking down on him in condescension.

"Don't talk to me like you know me!" shouted Draco, standing up and glaring her in the eyes.

"Oh I know you, Death Eater," Tonks continued, unwavering.

"Potter creeped into my compartment wearing his Invisibility cloak. He's the coward, not me. Later that year he sliced me open with a curse I'd never even heard of!" Draco defended himself angrily.

"He didn't know what that spell would do and that was revenge for breaking his nose," Tonks retorted.

"I don't give a shit. He deserved the broken nose for spying on me, for all we know he was probably planning to attack me from his Invisibility cloak! What I did was self defence, now get out of my way," said Draco firmly, grabbing his broom and walking towards the house.

"I'm going to warn you, only once. You better not hurt Hermione in any way, or I'll come looking for you," said Tonks coldly, watching him walk away. As he walked through the door into the house, he saw Lupin watching him suspiciously. Obviously Tonks had told her husband that she was going to speak to the infamous Death Eater. He glared at Lupin, hating everything and everyone in the house. Hermione saw him and smiled, but he kept walking, jumping up the stairs two at a time until he reached the third floor. He felt bad for walking past her like that, but he wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. Once inside his room he slammed the door shut and leaned against it. He was angry at Tonks for being so... prejudiced. Just because he was labelled a Death Eater, she automatically assumed he was some sort of evil murderer. But he suddenly realised that what he was feeling, was the same feeling Hermione must have felt all those years at Hogwarts. Draco had always labelled her as a mudblood and treated her that way. He was suddenly angry at himself for how he acted at Hogwarts, as well as Tonks.

"Malfoy... can I come in?" came Hermione's voice from the other side of the door. She knocked softly at the same time. Draco sighed, thinking.

"Why?" he asked.

"I want to talk. And I've got something to show you," she said patiently, despite the fact that he was clearly in a bad mood.

"Come back later," Draco muttered.

"No," said Hermione forcefully. He opened the door in annoyance, glaring at her slightly.

"What do you want?" he began to say angrily.

"Why are you angry at me for something I haven't done?" demanded Hermione, waiting for an answer.

"I'm not angry at you... it's that Tonks, she's a bitch," Draco growled, walking away from the door.

"She is not a bitch, Malfoy. She just doesn't understand you, and she's right, you did break Harry's nose," said Hermione, shrugging slightly.

"You sound just like her! Always defending him, as if he's been through more than everyone else!" Draco said in frustration.

"That's because he has, Malfoy, his parents are dead," Hermione said exasperatedly, walking in and closing the door so people downstairs wouldn't hear.

"He was a baby when it happened, he probably can't even remember it! He hasn't been forced to torture people, he hasn't been ordered to kill people, he hasn't watched his father get sent to Azkaban! I lived with Bellatrix and the Dark Lord up close and personal, don't act like you understand me Granger!" Draco shouted, his temper flaring. After he said it, he dropped onto the bed with his face in his hands. Hermione was momentarily frozen in surprise, as she began to realise the suffering Draco really had been through. She hesitantly sat down beside him, not knowing what to do.

"Gosh Malfoy, I'm sorry. I feel terrible, look at me," said Hermione softly, touching his hand gently. He looked up, his eyes watering slightly.

"I just wish none of this had ever happened," said Draco quietly, looking down and wiping his eyes, "it's funny, at Hogwarts I was the popular pureblood kid who thought he had everything. Now I've got nothing."

Hermione felt even worse when he said that. He truly had lost nearly everything. No doubt whatever wealth his father had was gone, after the war his father would definitely either be dead or in Azkaban. His mother was at the mercy of Bellatrix and Voldemort, and due to Draco escaping, she too might be dead. He had no friends, no money, and a very bad reputation. Hermione took a deep breath and squeezed his hand.

"Listen to me, Malfoy. Harry and Ron got the Elder Wand, I have it here right now. Take your anger out on the one who caused all of this. You're with the Order now, and we're going to stop You-Know-Who," said Hermione, holding the legendary wand out to Draco. It was long, and had spiral-like circles along it. Draco looked at it, almost fearfully. But Hermione could see a burning desire in his eyes. A desire for revenge, a desire to have his parents and his life back. Draco remembered getting his first wand in his first year, just like every other Hogwarts student did. His wand had glowed and shot sparks when he first touched it, and he remembered how excited he was: an eleven year old, finally learning magic. Assuming it worked, the Elder Wand would be a much more powerful version of his first wand. He lifted a shaking hand, and slowly gripped the hilt of the wand. What followed, was complete silence. While they were both expecting something extraordinary to happen, the wand merely glowed a bit and that was it. Hermione looked disappointed, and Draco seemed to sigh a breath of relief.

"Why didn't anything happen?" asked Hermione urgently.

"No idea. Someone must have disarmed me or something, like I disarmed Dumbledore..." replied Draco, holding the wand up closer to his eyes.

"Do you feel anything?" asked Hermione, determined to figure out what went wrong.

"Not really. It feels better than my old wand, but nothing special," replied Draco again, giving it back to her.

"Then there's only one way to find out who the true master of the wand is. We'll have to pass it around," Hermione thought aloud, looking rather excited at the idea of seeing who had obtained the wands power. Draco had several ideas on who it could be, but he kept them to himself.

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The next day, the four companions were sitting out in the garden together to discuss what was going to happen next. Hermione explained how Draco had destroyed a horcrux, Ravenclaw's Diadem, and so that meant that there was only Hufflepuff's cup left, and two other unknown objects. They sat there for ages wondering aloud what else Voldemort may have turned into a horcrux. It was impossible for them to guess though, because none of them knew Voldemort well enough.

"The snake," said Draco suddenly, making the other three turn to him.

"What about it?" asked Harry urgently.

"He keeps it - Nagini, it's called - with him at all times. I mean literally, at all times. It's more than just his pet, it's his personal bodyguard and friend," explained Draco. The other three listened in fascination, and Harry realised that having someone like Malfoy around would in fact be incredibly beneficial. He knew more than anyone else about how things worked with the Death Eaters and how Voldemort acted in private. Draco said used the word 'friend' to describe Voldemort's relationship with Nagini, because Voldemort talked to it in Parselmouth, and oftentimes there really did seem to be a friendship between the wizard and snake.

"So we need to destroy the cup, the snake and something else. Then we can kill him," muttered Harry aloud, scratching his chin and thinking. They suddenly heard commotion and talking from inside the house.

"Kingsley, Lupin and Mr Weasley have been arguing about what to do with the Elder Wand ever since I showed it to them," said Hermione worriedly. Word had spread that Draco did not have the power of the wand, so the true master remained unknown. At the next Order meeting however, they were going to pass it around to everyone present, and have Mr Ollivander inspect it to ensure that it was authentic. When the master was found, the Order would decide what to do next in terms of the war. But Kingsley and Lupin agreed that they had to act fast.

"Harry, Hermione, Ron! Come on!" came Mrs Weasley's voice from inside The Burrow. Draco rolled his eyes. Of course his name wasn't called, he wasn't part of their little meetings. But Hermione indicated for him to follow her, so he got up with the rest of them.

"They didn't say his name," Harry warned.

"Malfoy. There, I said his name," snapped Hermione, walking towards the house.

"He's not apart of this Hermione," continued Harry angrily.

"Wherever the Dark Lord is, my parents are. So if you're planning on killing or capturing him, you'll kill or capture my parents too. So I'm part of this Potter, whether you like it or not," said Draco as he followed Hermione into the house, leaving the other two Gryffindor's outside. Harry looked absolutely furious.

"I don't like it either mate, but he's got a point," shrugged Ron reluctantly.

"I never got a chance to save my parents, why should he get that chance? His parents are Death Eaters, they actually deserve to die!" Harry hissed, trying to keep his voice down.

"The only person who deserves to die is You-Know-Who," said Ron as he gripped Harry's shoulder to make sure he understood. The message was clear. The most important thing was to end the war and stop the wizard responsible. No one else needed to die. Harry took a deep breath and nodded as they walked into the house.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	14. Chapter 14

It took a few minutes for everyone to settle down in the meeting room. They were all sitting down at a long table, and it seemed almost like Malfoy Manor. The only difference was everyone here were friends and family, (apart from Draco), and the room was bright and full of energy. There were fourteen people present: Hermione, Draco, Harry, Ron, Mr and Mrs Weasley, Kingsley, Fred and George, Bill and Fleur, Lupin and Tonks and Mr Ollivander. Deep down everyone realised that the numbers were nowhere near as numerous as they should have been. There were many people missing: Harry's parents, Dumbledore, Sirius and Mad-Eye were just five examples. Hagrid couldn't be there as he was out in the mountains, trying to stop Voldemort from recruiting giants into his army. But the Order had to act fast, regardless of how many people were there to help. Now that they had the Elder Wand, the course of action was to attack Malfoy Manor, swiftly. It had been agreed that Mrs Weasley would guard The Burrow and await their arrival. They also needed a nurse of sorts in case something went wrong, and Mrs Weasley was the best with healing spells.

"What we discuss here today must not leave this room. We cannot risk the Death Eaters discovering the plan, otherwise all will be ruined, understood?" said Mr Weasley, who was standing at the head of the table. Everyone nodded, and Hermione spoke next. It was evident that she had been helping with whatever plan they had thought of.

"So, we have the fabled Elder Wand, which I'm sure everyone has now heard of. It was also Dumbledore's wand, and Ollivander is going to explain its significance and why it will help us," said Hermione, indicating for Ollivander to speak. He looked much more healthy and nourished after being at The Burrow for a few days, and he was holding the Elder Wand up for everyone to see.

"This wand is ancient and powerful, as the legends say. Yes, Dumbledore possessed it for many years. The power of the wand can move from person to person in many different ways, such as by disarming or killing the current owner. That is why the wand has left a trail of bloodshed throughout history. In our case, Dumbledore was the owner of the wand and Severus Snape killed him. But it was Malfoy who had disarmed Dumbledore, surprisingly, and thus it was Malfoy who gained the Elder Wands power, without realising it," said Ollivander, looking at Draco. No one looked pleased with Draco at all, in fact he received glares from everyone in the room except Hermione. He ignored all of this and looked at Ollivander, waiting for him to continue.

"However, Malfoy has already held and tested the wand, with no success. He has recently been disarmed, no doubt by someone in the Order, just like he had disarmed Dumbledore. If you disarm the owner of the wand, you receive the power of the wand, regardless of the situation. So, I would like everyone to hold the wand..."

"It was me," said a startled voice from the other end of the table. Everyone's heads turned to look at Lupin.

"When Malfoy first arrived here I disarmed him and took his wand before he came in," explained Lupin.

"Well, lets see?" suggested Ollivander, smiling and holding the wand up. Everyone watched anxiously as Lupin cast a worried glance at Tonks and walked to the other end of the table. Draco knew all along that it would be Lupin, and was watching in apprehension as the werewolf finally reached Ollivander. Deep down he desperately wanted Lupin to be the owner, not him. Deep down he desperately wanted no part in the fighting, he only wanted what he'd joined the Order for: the war to end, and his parents to be alive. Lupin extended his arm slowly, and everyone seemed to be holding their breath. As Lupin's fingers grasped the Elder Wand's hilt, an explosion of fiery crimson sparks lit up the entire room, blinding everyone momentarily. The sparks showered down to the ground, flashing now in an array of different colours. Lupin was in awe of the wand in his hands, the most powerful wand in existence.

"Well, that mystery is solved. Remus my friend, the wand is yours," announced Ollivander cheerfully. Everyone burst into applause, and the mood brightened significantly. Hermione noticed that even Draco was smiling, although she couldn't figure out why. But to Draco, he was smiling because he knew that Lupin wouldn't kill anyone he didn't have to. Lupin held no grudges against Narcissa and Lucius Malfoy and maybe, just maybe, there was a chance that things would turn out good after all.

"That's only the start, there's much more we need to cover!" Hermione called over the clapping, to get everyone's attention again. Lupin sat down next to Tonks, handing her the wand with a grim smile. He turned and made eye contact with Draco, and they both seemed to understand each other. Lupin had taken the biggest responsibility of the war right out of Draco's hands. Lupin was the one who would have to face Voldemort with Harry, and he knew that. Hermione then held up a small gold coin, and continued with the plan.

"We also have these coins I made in my fifth year. When one person rubs their coin, the other coins connected to it burn hot. They're used to pass messages. This part of the plan is crucial and it requires a sacrifice. Someone here must volunteer to be captured by the Death Eaters, and taken to Malfoy Manor. There, they will be thrown into the cellar like I was. As soon as You-Know-Who enters the house, the person is to rub their coin immediately, so that the Order is informed," Hermione explained, emptying a purse of identical gold coins onto the table. Everyone stared at the coins and waited for the next phase in the plan.

"Then everyone else apparates around the outside of the Manor, and casts anti-apparition and other enchantments, so that escape is impossible," said Kingsley.

"The same spells they put on the cellar," Hermione confirmed, and Kingsley nodded.

"Then we enter the building from all directions in pairs. Our goal is to disarm and stun every Death Eater in the building, including You-Know-Who. Although, it is important that the only people to approach You-Know-Who are Remus and Harry," said Kingsley, looking from Lupin to Harry, who both nodded in determination.

"Hermione and Malfoy have told us that there are not many Death Eaters at the Manor, since most of them are at Hogsmeade, the Ministry and Hogwarts. With our enchantments on the building, no one will be able to apparate in either, so re-enforcements won't be possible for You-Know-Who," said Mr Weasley to reassure everyone. It seemed like a very straightforward plan, but the risk of injury and death was alarmingly high.

"Why are we doing this now? Why can't we wait?" asked Fleur in her french accent. She looked uncertain and seemed to ask the same question that everyone else was thinking.

"Because we've been fighting You-Know-Who and trying to build an army for over a year now. This is the only army we have left," said Kingsley with brutal honesty.

"With the Elder Wand we have a weapon, with Malfoy we have information on every entrance into the Manor, information on every Death Eater and their whereabouts. Plus we have the element of surprise. This is our best chance, perhaps our only chance. The longer we wait, the stronger You-Know-Who gets," Kingsley continued. There was a long silence as everyone contemplated that they were, quite literally, preparing for an all-or-nothing battle that could end everything.

"Well, someone needs to be captured and held prisoner for this plan to work. I'd like to volunteer," said Ollivander. Hermione and Draco turned to him in surprise, not believing what they'd just heard. After two years of being Voldemort's prisoner, he was prepared to return to that hell for the greater good. Everyone thanked him and wished him luck. Ollivander knew that it made sense for him to be the volunteer prisoner: Voldemort needed the wand-maker. Ollivander knew that as soon as he was imprisoned again, Voldemort would be summoned to the Manor immediately. It was perfect for the plan.

"What are the pairs going to be when we do it?" asked Fred curiously, glaring at Draco with dislike. No one wanted to be with the former Death Eater, and it was obvious that no one fully trusted him yet. Kingsley already had the pairs written down.

"The pairs will be: Harry and Remus, Ron and Hermione, Fred and George, Bill and Mr Weasley, Tonks and myself," announced Kingsley. There were some puzzled expressions around the table. It made sense that Tonks would have to go with Kingsley, since Remus and Harry had to be a pair. But Fleur and Draco were completely left out.

"Excusez-moi! I am going with Bill, no matter what!" declared Fleur angrily, holding her husbands hand tightly.

"I'm going by myself, I don't give a damn about the pairs," Draco snapped from the doorway where he'd been standing the entire time. Kingsley sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Everyone has to make sacrifices, this is just the way it needs to be," he continued, but it was useless. Everyone already knew why Kingsley had decided to leave them out. Draco was a former Death Eater and he couldn't be trusted. His parents were at the Manor, so he wouldn't be fighting anyway, and he could turn on them at any moment to protect his parents. He would have to be kept at The Burrow with Mrs Weasley, which he openly refused to do. Fleur wasn't the best at duelling, and if she went with Bill then someone wouldn't have a partner. But Fleur was absolutely adamant that she would be with Bill, regardless of how dangerous it was. Arguments started and Bill agreed with Fleur, then Mr Weasley agreed with Bill and things got completely out of hand.

"I'll go by myself Kingsley. Let Fleur be with Bill," said Mr Weasley.

"It's too dangerous Arthur! The Manor is massive, we're in pairs for a reason. If you're alone you'll get outnumbered and killed without anyone hearing you," growled Kingsley, shaking his head, "It must be done the way I've said it. Everyone must be in pairs."

"If Remus is with Harry, make Tonks stay at The Burrow," suggested Fred casually.

"I'm an Auror, I'm trained to do this job! Kingsley and I should be the ones making the decisions!" shouted Tonks angrily.

"As long as I'm with you Fred, we'll be sweet," grinned George, the twins sitting back and relaxing as the entire room erupted in shouting. The shouting and arguing seemed to go on loudly for a few seconds, as there was no real leader in the room. Without Dumbledore, the leader responsibilities was shared between Mr Weasley, Lupin and Kingsley.

"SHUT UP!" roared Draco at the top of his lungs, causing everyone to stop in mid-sentence.

"The Dark Lord took my fathers wand and my mother is innocent. My parents are stuck there and I'm going to get them back, I don't care about the plan," he began firmly.

"As long as the Dark Mark is branded on your arm, you're branded as a Death Eater. Regardless of how much you've helped us, you still cannot be trusted with this!" Kingsley growled, trying to keep everyone in order.

"I'll go without my wand, make me the prisoner, let Ollivander stay here!" Draco said, coming up with any ideas he could. Hermione was the next person to join in, although everyone listened to her and she didn't have to shout.

"Malfoy stop! Ollivander is the most suitable prisoner, he's already volunteered and You-Know-Who needs him alive," said Hermione. "If you were the prisoner, they'd just kill you."

"If what you say is true, your parents should surrender freely, in which case they won't be harmed," said Kingsley reasonably.

"They'll be cursed on sight just for being Death Eaters and you know it!" accused Draco, glaring hatefully at Kingsley.

"Good, they should be sent to Azkaban afterwards as well. It's what they deserve, like every other Death Eater," said Harry coldly. The room went quiet as heads turned from Draco to Harry and back again.

"You'll pay for that, Potter," Draco snapped, looking beside himself with rage. Before Hermione, Lupin, Kingsley or anyone else in the room could react, the two wizards drew their wands.

"Crucio!" Draco roared.

"Sectumsempra!" gasped Harry at the same time, or perhaps a millisecond faster. It was impossible to tell who cast their curse first, because it happened at the same time and no one could see it coming. Harry was launched out of his chair by the force of the Cruciatus curse, smashing into the wall and writhing on the ground in pain. All eyes were on Draco, however. After he'd cast his curse his arm went limp and his shirt seemed to immediately begin soaking with thick blood. Both wizards had successfully hit their mark, unimaginably quickly.

"No! Mrs Weasley, hurry!" Hermione yelled urgently as she jumped out of her chair towards Draco, but his legs had already given way and he slid to the ground with his back against the wall. Everyone was momentarily frozen in shock, as it had happened in the blink of an eye. Lupin was closer than Mrs Weasley, and he acted quickly by helping Hermione lift Draco and carry him into the living room. Ron and Tonks tried to help Harry up, but he was still in excruciating pain from the curse. Once the realisation of what had just happened set in, everyone began moving again.

"Hermione I need you to keep pressure on the cut," Lupin was saying rapidly as they placed Draco on the living room couch.

"It's not a cut Remus, it's a fourteen inch sword slash," Hermione sobbed slightly as she began to panic.

"Just calm down and keep pressure on it," Lupin continued as sweat appeared on his forehead. Mrs Weasley appeared moments later, immediately taking action. She pushed the other two out of the way and tore the shirt open to reveal the gory wound that Harry had inflicted. Everyone watched in horror as she began casting all sorts of advanced healing and medical spells. Thankfully she was prepared. When George had lost his ear from the curse, Mrs Weasley had researched many spells that could help heal it. The deep gash seemed to stop bleeding, but it wasn't completely healed. No matter how much Mrs Weasley tried, she couldn't fix it.

"Molly, you've done all you can. It isn't a wound, it's a curse. Only Severus knows how to truly heal it," Lupin murmured grimly, laying his hand on Mrs Weasley's shoulder.

"What kind of man would invent such a spell?" said Mrs Weasley darkly as she began bandaging the wound. There was silence as Harry entered the living room with Tonks and Ron.

"What kind of man would use such a spell!" Hermione hissed as she glared at Harry.

"He tried to attack me," said Harry defensively.

"Last year you promised me you'd never use that spell! 'Not even on Malfoy,' were your exact words!" Hermione nearly screamed, her expression furious.

"And what if he'd used it on me?"

"He didn't use it, he used Crucio! I can't believe what you've done!"

"I wasn't thinking straight, it was self defence," Harry argued.

"You knew exactly what you were doing Harry, don't lie!"

"Quiet..." came a long, drawn out voice from the lounge. Everyone looked down at Draco. His chest was still being bandaged up and the bleeding had almost stopped, thanks to Mrs Weasley. He was lying flat on his back and didn't dare try to move. Instead his eyes were open and staring directly at the roof as he spoke.

"Granger, get the Essence of Dittany... Lupin, get Severus as soon as possible..." murmured Draco.

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The mood had changed significantly for everyone in only twenty minutes time. Lupin and Kingsley were standing out in the garden, trying to decide what to do. It was late afternoon and they could smell dinner from inside The Burrow being cooked. The plan to take Voldemort down was originally meant to be the next day, or even sometime that week. But due to Draco being severely injured and the only person able to save him being Snape, this forced the Order to act faster.

"Kingsley, we have to go tonight. It can't wait," urged Lupin.

"The plan was tomorrow. We may not be ready tonight..."

"Malfoy won't last until tomorrow afternoon, not even with the Dittany," Lupin interrupted grimly. Kingsley looked at him curiously.

"You're sure?"

"I'm certain. Dittany is meant for physical wounds, but it won't heal a curse like that. Trust me, Severus is the only one who knows how to heal it," answered Lupin, looking at the Auror beside him. They both knew that they couldn't just stand around doing nothing. They both knew that the young man inside the house didn't deserve to die, and they didn't want his death on Harry's conscience. Now they had no other choice, they had to act quickly.

"Okay. We do it tonight. Do the Death Eaters still have the Caterwauling charm on Hogsmeade?" asked Kingsley thoughtfully.

"Yes, only after seven," Lupin replied.

"This can work to our advantage... have Ollivander apparate into Hogsmeade tonight. It'll set off the charm, he'll get caught instantly. They'll take him to Malfoy Manor. Then it begins," murmured Kingsley. He spoke without fear. Being an Auror, he was trained and experienced in life-threatening situations and duels. He felt as though this was exactly what he'd trained for, and exactly what Dumbledore one day hoped to achieve.

"Seventeen years we've waited. And it's all going to come down to this night," said Lupin with an anxious sigh as he looked out at the distant hills.

"Are you ready for this, Remus?" asked Kingsley.

"Don't worry about me. Worry about Harry, worry about Tonks. I'm willing to sacrifice everything to end this tonight, you know that," said Lupin firmly.

"I know. You're a great man, Remus. You always have been," said Kingsley with a sad smile.

"The same to you, Kingsley," replied Lupin, a barely noticeable hint of emotion in his voice. They shook hands, knowing that it could be the last time they ever do.

\----------

"Blimey George, lucky you only lost your ear eh?" said Fred casually.

"You got that right," grinned George, as they stood on the other side of the living room and watched Draco lying on the lounge. The bandages were soaked with blood. Mrs Weasley's spells were already beginning to wear off. Hermione was sitting beside the lounge anxiously, and they guessed that she was trying to avoid Harry. Everyone heard the argument over him using the curse, and even though George hated Malfoy, he was kind of on Hermione's side. Like Fred said, he lost his ear because of Sectumsempra earlier that year. Seeing Harry use that curse made him feel bad, because Harry just wasn't that type of person.

"Dad says it's happening tonight," continued Fred. George glanced at him.

"Oh. Already?"

"Yeah, already."

"Ah well, lets get it over with then. We'll be back to 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' in no time," said George with a wink, but he had a slightly pained expression and his smile faltered. Fred couldn't even manage to smile. He looked unconvinced, even worried. They were both thinking the same thing, and they knew each other well enough to realise that either of them could die in the next few hours. It's said that to lose a twin is like losing part of yourself, and this was the first time in years that the Weasley twins weren't joking.

"Yeah, I guess. But just in case, you... you be careful tonight. We're gonna stick together, yeah?" said Fred, turning to his identical twin brother.

"Yeah, we're sticking together, no matter what," said George, nodding slightly as he looked away to hide his face.

"And Ron will - will be with dad, so he'll be safe," Fred choked slightly, taking a deep breath.

"Ginny's at Hogwarts, safe and sound too," George went on.

"Bill's with Fleur..."

"Percy, the git, is at the Ministry."

"Mum'll be safe here."

"And we're..."

"Side by side, mate," finished George, wiping his eyes as he gripped his brothers shoulder, "Side by side, till the end."

They stood there, quietly thinking about their family, which was spread so thin and in so much danger. Any one of them could die in the next few hours: Mr Weasley, Ron, Bill or them two, or anyone else. Ginny could be being treated horribly at Hogwarts by Snape and the Carrow's. Mrs Weasley could be captured or killed at The Burrow after the rest of the Order leave to attack the Manor. Even despite considering Percy a git, the twins still wondered how he was being treated at the Ministry, since the Ministry was under the control of Voldemort and Percy was ultimately still a Weasley: still related blood traitors and muggle sympathisers. Fred and George couldn't imagine, didn't even want to imagine, what it would feel like to lose their identical twin in the next few hours, or how it would change them. Thankfully no one was watching them, because they were both awkwardly holding back tears.

"We need to brighten up Fred," said George at last, shaking his head.

"Just what I was thinking, hey where's those fireworks we used on Umbridge?" Fred asked to change the gloomy subject.

"You read my mind, they're upstairs!"

"Thought so, brilliant-"

"Brilliant, lets light something up-"

"Brilliant-"

"Definitely."

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione pulled a chair over beside the lounge that Draco was lying on, looking at his bandages grimly. She'd already made it obvious that she wasn't going to talk to Harry or Ron, and to make sure of that she decided to stay right beside Draco. There was no way Harry would come anywhere near the Slytherin after what he'd done. Hermione knew that Harry was regretting his actions, he wasn't an evil person at all. But whether what he'd done was by accident or 'self defence' as he claimed, he still used a terrible curse and she wasn't going to forgive him straight away. If Draco died from this, Harry would never be able to forgive himself, and it truly was his own fault. Draco was silent, which was unusual. Wasn't he supposed to be in agonising pain? Whatever spells Mrs Weasley had used obviously worked. Or maybe he was so quiet because he'd stopped breathing? No one was watching him, the only other people in the living room were Fred and George and they looked like they were up to something funny or mischievous, she couldn't tell. If Draco stopped breathing they'd probably just stand there and make jokes about it anyway. Hermione sighed and leaned forwards awkwardly, leaning her ear up against his chest to check if he was...

"I'm breathing, Granger, calm down."

"Oh! Well you weren't moving or talking," said Hermione in embarrassment, blushing as she leaned back.

"That's because I'm slowly dying, thanks to your best friend," replied Draco coldly, opening his eyes.

"You're not the only one who's angry with what he did," Hermione snapped.

"Whatever. Did you get the Dittany?" Draco interrupted. There was a pause as Hermione glared at him slightly, but she decided to ignore him if he got rude.

"Yes, I've got it here. Do you want me to do it?"

"Just give it to me," Draco snapped impatiently, holding out his hand.

"Fine," said Hermione, giving it to him without arguing. He began to take off his bandages with one hand, intending to use the Dittany on himself.

"Do you want me to help?" offered Hermione gently.

"No."

There was silence as Hermione willed herself to be patient and not get angry. She knew that Draco was angry at Harry. Not just angry, probably murderous. She would have to remind herself to not let them near each other. Since Harry wasn't around Draco was probably taking his anger and impatience out on her. A minute or two later and he was still trying to get the bandages off; he finally lost his patience and ripped them off. Hermione gasped slightly and looked away from the sudden blood. She heard him taking deep, guttural, painful breaths.

"You shouldn't have done that," Hermione said worriedly.

"Shut up," Draco growled through gritted teeth as he pushed himself up on his elbows, to Hermione's alarm.

"Malfoy stop! You're going to make it worse!"

"I don't need your help Granger, just leave."

"Well you're getting my help," snapped Hermione as she snatched the bottle of Dittany from his hands and stood over him. His elbows slipped and he fell onto his back, his chest moving sharply and the wound searing with pain. Hermione could tell that it was hurting, but she was surprised that he didn't say anything. He just glared at her painfully as she opened the tiny bottle of healing essence and prepared to drop some on the wound. She considered being polite and asking him if he was ready, but instead she just tipped the bottle and let some drip onto the wound. Steam seemed to rise from the wound and Draco screamed in pain and shock, arching his back. Mrs Weasley rushed back into the room, and Hermione's hand was shaking as she put the bottle back down.

"What on earth did you do?" Mrs Weasley was asking, but the pain had already subsided and Draco was back to normal, breathing heavily. They all looked at the wound to see if it had changed, but it remained the same.

"Why didn't anything happen?" Hermione asked shakily.

"I didn't think anything would happen," panted Draco, lying back and clenching his fists to try and ignore the searing pain that the liquid had caused.

"What do you mean?" Hermione demanded.

"Dittany is meant to be used after, not before, the wound is healed to prevent scaring. Snape told me last year," explained Draco impatiently.

"Then why the hell did you want to put some on now!" Hermione hissed, furious that he hadn't even told her what the Dittany was going to do. She thought that it'd heal the wound just like it did for everything else. But it seemed that Lupin was right: the only way to quickly heal this wound was by using Snape's counter-curse. Hermione couldn't believe that he would risk doing the exact opposite of what Snape had told him the year before, especially when Snape was the only one who understood how the curse worked.

"Because I didn't have a choice!" Draco growled.

"Of course you have a choice, Harry will bring Snape back!" she said angrily.

"No he won't."

"Both of you be quiet! The more you shout, move and put random ingredients on the wound the worse it will become," said Mrs Weasley in her motherly voice. It was almost like she was yelling at the Weasley twins for doing something wrong. In fact, Fred and George were still in the room quietly laughing together. Draco and Hermione glared at them.

"Whether you like it or not, your life is in my hands," continued Mrs Weasley to Draco as she pulled her wand out to repeat the healing spells.

"Whether you like it or not, your spells can't heal me. Without Snape I'm dead, and all of this will be for nothing," replied Draco. Hermione stayed quiet as she watched the witch and wizard in front of her glare at each other. Once again, she couldn't believe how rude and reckless Draco could be. Mrs Weasley looked on the verge of putting her wand away and letting him bleed to death. But she took a deep breath and looked down at him.

"My spells can't heal you, but they can reduce the pain and bleeding, which will keep you alive for longer. Do you want my help or not?" she asked in a deathly quiet voice. Hermione could almost read Draco's thoughts. He was torn between being snide and rude as usual, or swallowing his pride and admitting that he wanted a Weasley's help. She also noticed that the more pain he was in or the more weaknesses he revealed, the more stubborn and rude he became. After a few seconds he just nodded silently and looked away.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes, please," snarled Draco. At that, Mrs Weasley silently began doing the healing spells all over again. Once she'd finished, she began to remove the remaining bandages to replace them as well, since they were covered in blood.

"I can do that, Mrs Weasley," offered Hermione politely.

"Thank you, Hermione dear. The spare bandages are in the cupboard down the hall," said Mrs Weasley stiffly. She was in a bad mood because of Draco, but didn't say anything else.

"Slimy Slytherin's got some balls."

"You know what they say-"

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you-"

"Or keeps you alive," finished Fred, or George, the only way to tell was by checking their ears now. Had it been a year ago Hermione would never have been able to tell them apart, and when they finished each other's sentences like that it made it even harder. When they'd finished talking, Draco simply glared at them without saying anything and they just grinned back at him.

"Hey Fred and George, what's up?" asked Hermione curiously, since Draco wasn't going to reply and she didn't exactly want him to.

"We decided to come over and congratulate him-"

"Had we talked to mum like that she would've cursed us-"

"Speaking of curses, you'd better watch out-"

"We've got a firework show prepared for later tonight," finished George that time, with a malicious grin. Hermione frowned.

"What on earth do curses have to do with your fireworks?" she asked in confusion.

"Never you mind Hermione, never you mind," replied Fred with a wink, before they slipped upstairs to their room. Once they were gone, Draco and Hermione were left alone at last. The old bandages were still on him and his wound was still open, so Hermione set to work on removing the old bandages in silence. Draco's glare seemed to have been replaced with a neutral, pained expression from his chest. If he was to be honest, Fred and George would be the only Weasley's he could tolerate to an extent. At least they were pranksters, had a sense of humour, a joke shop and were richer than the rest of their family. And the Weasley's were purebloods, which gave them some status in magical society. That was probably the only reason their shop hadn't been sabotaged yet. From what Draco could remember, it was one of the only shops still open in Diagon Alley. They were also decent at Quidditch. The rest of the Weasley family, on the other hand, were complete... well, maybe not Bill. He was married to the pureblood french girl, Fleur. And the other brother worked at the Ministry. And Mrs Weasley was keeping him alive. Damn it, Draco thought to himself, why on earth was he bothering to judge the Weasley family? It wasn't like he liked them, they were all the same, just like Ron. Just blood traitors who couldn't afford to feed themselves.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Hermione curiously. He hadn't realised she was watching him.

"Nothing," Draco snapped quickly. She shrugged, not bothering to ask any more about it.

"You didn't have to be rude to Mrs Weasley..." she murmured quietly. Draco didn't reply, but felt her hand brush against his skin as she tried to tug the bandages from underneath him; they had been wrapped completely around his chest and stomach.

"Sorry, can you move up a bit?" asked Hermione, blushing after she'd brushed him. He moved up and she pulled the bandages from underneath him. Once she'd finally finished, she got up and went over to get some more from where Mrs Weasley had said. Once she'd returned, Draco still hadn't said a word.

"Tergeo... you're not very talkative," Hermione mused, as she cleaned the gash and began re-bandaging it.

"I'm planning out how I'm going to kill Potter. First I'll torture him for a while, then maybe..."

"Malfoy please. I know he just cursed you, but remember, he is the one who will end the war. It'll be thanks to Harry when you get your parents back."

"If I get my parents back, Granger, IF," Draco snapped angrily. Before she could reply, he continued, "If he manages to kill the Dark Lord and get my parents back alive, I'll think about sparing his life."

"So you'll be even then? When he does it, you two will be even?" she asked hopefully, with a smile. Draco glanced at her, his eyes narrowing. After a few seconds, he nodded curtly.

"Wow, I can't wait. Will you thank him?" Hermione continued excitedly.

"No Granger, I won't be thanking anyone. We'll just be even, the end," Draco said impatiently. There was a pause and he seemed to reconsider, "Actually-"

"Nope, you can't take that back. When, not if, he beats You-Know-Who and brings your parents back, you two will be even," Hermione announced bossily, and she finished the bandages a moment later.

"Whatever, I'll still hate him whether we're even or not," Draco shrugged carelessly.

"Done! Now don't move or take the bandages off again," ordered Hermione, deciding to ignore his last comment. There was silence as Hermione stood up and looked down at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked curiously as he looked up at her. She continued looking at him expectantly, her look turning into a glare.

"What?" he asked again in annoyance.

"A thank you would have been nice," she said unhappily. Draco snorted in response as if what she'd said was ridiculous, but this only made her glare worse and she seemed to take on a hurt expression.

"It was just some bandages!" he said exasperatedly.

"And what if I hadn't done it? How would you have felt calling out for Mrs Weasley's help like a poor little-"

"Alright fine, thank you," he sighed, not wanting to hear any more about how it would feel to ask for a Weasley's help. Thanking a muggle-born took a bit of pride-swallowing too, though. He felt kind of bad for referring to her as a muggle-born, did she even deserve it? Sure, at Hogwarts she'd been a bossy, know-it-all, bookworm Gryffindor without many friends. But ever since they'd been thrown together at Malfoy Manor, she'd been nothing but nice and... tolerant, despite how he'd treated her in the past. If that wasn't noble and pure, then he didn't know what was. He cursed himself silently. He was doing it again, judging them. It didn't matter what she deserved, she was still a muggle-born, just like the Weasley's were still blood traitors.

"No problem," Hermione beamed cheerfully after he thanked her, cutting him out of his thoughts and making him roll his eyes. No doubt she was pleased with a pureblood Slytherin thanking her.

Hermione was actually quite surprised. Despite the fact that she'd helped him countless times so far, that was the first time he'd ever actually thanked her for anything. Ever. She thanked him at Malfoy Manor just for giving her an apple. But before she could think any more about it, Mr Weasley had walked into the living room and was calling the rest of the Order in. They heard Bill and Fleur apparate from Shell Cottage back to The Burrow outside.

"For anyone that hasn't heard yet, we're going tonight, right after everyone has had something to eat. Ollivander will apparate into Hogsmeade, and we'll wait for his signal. Everyone take a coin now and remember to keep it on you at all times. Ollivander, try not to lose yours," said Mr Weasley, handing the gold coins out for everyone to have one. Ollivander chuckled slightly as he received his, promising that he wouldn't lose it.

"Speaking of losing the coin, what happens if we don't get a signal from old Ollivander?" asked George curiously.

"Shall we just charge in for glory and honour anyway?" suggested Fred.

"No, we won't be charging anywhere! Glory has nothing to do with it, Fred-" said Mr Weasley, sounding quite flustered.

"Just a joke, dad-"

"If we don't get any signal, we can only assume that Ollivander is waiting patiently in the cellar for You-Know-Who to arrive. We cannot go unless we're absolutely certain that You-Know-Who is in the building and unable to escape," explained Kingsley.

"If nothing happens and we're left waiting, we could send Kreacher to get him out?" Harry suggested. Kingsley nodded in agreement.

"House elves sure are useful to have around. Good thinking Harry."

"So what are the pairs now? Someone will still need to stay here," said Bill, holding Fleur close beside him. There was clearly no way that they would be separated, that much was obvious. There was an eerie silence as everyone wanted to be apart of this courageous battle to end the war. After a few moments, Hermione sighed from where she was standing beside the lounge.

"I guess I'll just solve everyone's problem and stay here," she volunteered.

"Hermione! It might not be safe here, what if Death Eaters come?" said Ron worriedly. It was obvious that her two best friends not only wanted her to be safe, but also wanted her to be with them when they faced Voldemort. She had always imagined that the three of them would be together when it ended, but it just wouldn't happen like that. Not now.

"They won't, Ron. Besides, I'm sure me and Mrs Weasley can handle ourselves."

"And being stuck on this couch won't stop me from cursing the first prat who walks through the front door," snapped Draco fiercely from where he was lying, staring at the ceiling, to everyone's surprise. They seemed to forget that he was even in the room, that he'd risked his life and his entire family to join them. That he'd betrayed his own people just to be cursed and left to bleed out in their living room. That the Death Eaters they were going to fight had made his life a living hell since his sixth year. That his own parents were trapped in that building, defenceless and at risk of death. To be ignored frustrated him to no end.

"And Malfoy will be with us too," Hermione continued, glancing down at him in pleasant surprise.

"Wouldn't it be safer with Kingsley or something?" Harry suggested.

"No, Harry, it wouldn't. And even if it was safer going with you, I still wouldn't. Someone has to stay here, to keep the pairs even," said Hermione without looking at him. Draco raised his eyebrows slightly. She didn't sound angry, she instead sounded almost cold. Harry picked up on it as well, and glared.

"Why are you still angry at me?"

"Don't start arguing, either of you!" growled Kingsley before it could escalate.

"This is fine, Hermione will be safer here and no one else is volunteering. So the pairs are: myself and Harry, Ron and Arthur, Bill and Fleur, Tonks and Fred, Kingsley and George," announced Lupin, but the Weasley twins were already shaking their heads in disagreement and everyone groaned. Obviously Lupin had tried to put both of the twins with an experienced Auror each, as both Tonks and Kingsley were Auror's. That way it would be more effective, but it was clear that the Weasley twins would never agree to be separated for something so important and dangerous.

"Me and Fred are partners-"

"Me and George are partners-"

"What he said-"

"What he said," the twins said in perfect unison at exactly the same time. Lupin sighed and nodded, "Fred and George together then, and Tonks and Kingsley."

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	16. Chapter 16

After asking Draco if he was hungry, Hermione left him on the couch to join the rest of the Order for dinner. Luna, Dean and Griphook were also eating, although Griphook went to his room with his meal as usual. It appeared that goblins didn't like associating with wizards very much. As everyone in the Order had dinner together, there was an unspoken tension in the air as they all silently acknowledged the fact that it could be their last meal ever, depending on the outcome of the battle ahead. As Hermione looked around the room, she was shocked with the realisation that anyone could die. Even Lupin with the Elder Wand wasn't truly invincible; Dumbledore's death was proof of that. Despite the fact that Hermione was still incredibly angry at Harry, she sat between her two best friends. If this truly was going to be the end of Voldemort, and if there was a chance of death occurring that night, she belonged next to her best friends before they parted. They all ate in anxious quiet, with only a few murmured discussions. Lupin was discussing defensive magic to anyone who would listen, mostly just Harry. Kingsley was talking about Azkaban and which Death Eaters would be sent there after the war with Tonks. Mr Weasley was talking to Fred and George about their newest muggle tricks at the joke shop. Bill and Fleur were whispering quietly together in what sounded like french.

The dinner ended all too soon however, and it was already nearing eight o'clock. Once Ollivander was ready, he stood up and put the gold coin deep in his back pocket securely and was prepared to leave. Everyone said goodbye, with Luna and Dean hugging the wand-maker tightly for a few moments. After hearing all the commotion, even Griphook came down to give Ollivander a farewell. The four of them had spent a long time together in the Malfoy Manor cellar, and they seemed to have bonded. Even Draco nodded curtly to him, with just the hint of a sad smile ghosting the Slytherin's lips. Hermione had remembered that they were on a first name basis since Ollivander had spent two years in Draco's cellar. It was strange to see Draco give anyone respect, he only respected Voldemort and other Death Eaters out of fear. No, the only people Hermione had ever seen Draco give genuine respect to was his parents and Snape. Once again, she was surprised by him. Were Slytherin's usually respectful? Only to each other, Hermione thought to herself. She shook her head firmly; she'd worry about Slytherin traits and personalities later. After everyone had wished Ollivander luck, it was time at last. He slowly left The Burrow and walked past the magical protective barriers. With all eyes watching him, he waved briefly before disapparating with a resounding crack!

\----------

Waiting. The more they had to wait, the more anxious they became. Sitting around doing nothing had never felt so tiring before. While their bodies weren't moving, their brains were racing and they were completely and utterly alert, prepared for something to happen. Hermione glanced at the clock again. How had it only been fifteen minutes? It felt like hours had passed. Surely it wouldn't take fifteen minutes for a bunch of Death Eaters to capture an old defenceless wand-maker? Well, they still had to wait for Voldemort to be summoned to Malfoy Manor. Hermione sighed. They'd probably be waiting for well over an hour, she shouldn't get so worked up...

"Is that the signal?"

"Already? How could he already be there?"

"Okay, that's the signal. We've got to be fast, we can't give them time to react," said Kingsley loudly, holding out his gold coin which was burning painfully. Everyone quickly hugged and said their goodbyes, before rushing to their partners with trustworthy smiles and hugs. Ron looked pale as he, Harry and Hermione all jumped into a tight hug together. When they broke apart, Hermione kissed them both on the cheek.

"Good luck, both of you come back safely okay? Remember to use defensive magic, like 'Protego', and 'Finite incantatum' is useful to-" began Hermione, trying to remind them of as many things that would keep them safe.

"Blimey Hermione, we know how to duel," scoffed Ron.

"Yeah, we can take care of ourselves," grinned Harry, but his grin was halfhearted. He was trying to act casual, but he was about to do what many considered to be his destiny. Since the day of his birth, his fate had been decided by a prophecy. It was time to fulfil that prophecy, by either killing Voldemort or dying himself. 'Neither can live while the other survives'. For some strange reason, the words were ringing in his ears. Hermione nodded, but she couldn't bring herself to smile. Instead she just hugged them both a second time, wishing them luck again. The rest of the Order were waiting, so Ron went and stood by his father proudly, and Harry walked towards Lupin. Hermione glanced over at Draco, who had seen it all unfold. She expected some sneer or sarcastic comment about 'The Golden Trio' saying their emotional goodbyes. But surprisingly, he looked even more anxious than the people leaving. She'd never seen his expression so... serious, even passionate. The Order's lives weren't the only ones on the line. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy were at an even higher risk of death, that is, if Voldemort hadn't already murdered them. Another surprise, first respect and now... well, she didn't know what to call it. Anxiety and fear for the safety of his parents? In shorter terms it could be called love, but she just couldn't wrap her head around Draco Malfoy loving anyone but himself. She sighed, turning back to Harry and Ron.

"Everyone ready? Let's move quickly, we've already wasted too much time, we're five minutes late," ordered Kingsley, rushing everyone outside. Harry and Lupin shook hands with looks of determination. They would be the ones to face Voldemort. There were some final waves and goodbyes, before everyone stood in a line outside of The Burrow. Hermione, Mrs Weasley, Luna, Dean and Griphook watched from inside the magical barriers. Hermione looked at all their faces: Harry, Lupin, Ron, Mr Weasley, Fred, George, Bill, Fleur, Tonks and Kingsley. And then all of a sudden, their faces vanished from thin air with repeated 'crack, crack, crack!' sounds that echoed across the hillside. Suddenly, she felt utterly alone.

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Hermione's initial feeling of loneliness was then replaced with curiosity. Fred and George were still standing outside the magical barrier, grinning towards them. There was this... fuzzing sound coming from the garden on the other side of the house. What on earth was that? The others standing outside with her had obviously heard it as well, because they were all frowning and turning to look the other way. Luna was dreamily staring at the sky and Griphook was frowning at the ground, and Hermione struggled not to laugh at their confused expressions. Then the sky seemed to explode with a brilliant array of spectacular colours, accompanied by the sound of a cannon blast. Hermione was mesmerised: she had never seen such beautiful and complex fireworks before.

"See you soon mum!" they both said in unison, before apparating to Malfoy Manor to follow the rest of the Order. The fireworks got brighter, more powerful and more colourful as they multiplied and literally ignited the sky with bursting colour. Hermione was grinning from ear to ear as she turned to Mrs Weasley, expecting the mother to be frowning in disapproval. Mrs Weasley had never approved of the twins' inventions, whether they were pranks or fireworks. Yet even Mrs Weasley was smiling as she looked up at the illuminated night sky.

"I wish I hadn't been so hard on them when they were at Hogwarts. Who would've known they'd grow up to invent such..."

"Beauty?" finished Hermione, turning to the older lady. Mrs Weasley just nodded sadly.

"Well, they might be beautiful now. Just don't try to put them out, otherwise they'll keep multiplying and getting more dangerous like they did at Hogwarts," said Hermione with a laugh. She recalled when Professor Umbridge and the other teachers had tried to stop Fred and George's fireworks in her fifth year. Now she understood why curses had something to do with Fred and George's fireworks.

\----------

Meanwhile all ten of the attacking Order members had successfully apparated just outside of Malfoy Manor. The night was gloomy and icy, and the sky above was pitch black. All of the stars were hidden behind a thick layer of dark clouds. It was impossible to see the person standing right beside you.

"Lumos..." someone murmured, making it clearer for everyone to see each other. It was Bill who'd cast the magical light.

"Only one person per pair use Lumos. We don't want to draw too much attention to our wand-light as we move in," said Kingsley quietly. He continued.

"Remember to stun and disarm only, work together. Myself, Tonks, Fred and George will enter the left side of the Manor. Harry, Remus, Arthur, Ron, Bill and Fleur enter the right side. We'll break their magical barriers and enter through the side passages Malfoy indicated. Everyone ready?"

There was a shaky, cold silence as the entire group nodded, glancing at each other. The extra pair was going with Harry and Lupin, presumably because if Voldemort was on the right side of the Manor where Draco suggested he would be, they'd need all the help they could get. Kingsley and Tonks were both Auror's and were more than capable of defeating a few unorganised Death Eaters. With some last moment goodbyes, the pairs split up and moved silently around the outside of the house. They'd planned all of this thoroughly beforehand, and when they were in position, they'd formed a circle around the entire mansion. The main problem was that the people on the right side of the Manor couldn't see the others on the left. They were very much alone and on opposite sides of the massive building. All they could do now was rely on the witch or wizard standing beside them.

"Harry, let me do the disarming and stunning, let me take the risks. No matter what, you stay behind me and focus on protecting yourself. Use defensive magic until the time is right, you understand?" murmured Lupin, turning to the young man beside him. Funnily enough, he didn't have to look down anymore. Harry Potter was a seventeen year old adult wizard, the same height as his father had been. They looked each other square in the eye, and Harry nodded in understanding. Lupin had the Elder Wand, he should be the one taking the hits for them both. When the time was right, Harry would have to be ready to finish Voldemort himself.

"James and Sirius would have been proud, seeing us here together. You've grown up to be a brilliant wizard, Harry," said Lupin, looking towards the Manor again. He took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh night air.

"And you've been a brilliant teacher, Remus. Thanks for everything," Harry replied. He looked to his right, down the circular line to the next pair. Ron and Mr Weasley were standing side by side in the distance, wands at the ready. For some reason, things just felt right. The timing, the people present, the situation and the circumstances. Harry felt confident that they were going to win. The only disappointment was that Hermione wasn't with him, but at least she was safe at The Burrow with the others. Harry felt the gold coin in his pocket burn mildly. He pulled it from his pocket, and one word was magically etched in the middle. Begin. It was Kingsley's signal to begin breaking the magical protection on the Manor, and begin casting their own anti-apparition jinxes. The signal to begin the battle, and the signal which told Ollivander that he was moments from being rescued.

"Ready?"

"Ready," answered Harry firmly. Lupin pointed his wand at the building and shot a misty white spell which connected to the invisible barrier that was preventing them from entering. Harry wasn't experienced in magical barriers, as it was always Hermione who put up the protective enchantments around the tent. So he stood by and watched as the more experienced Order members set to work. A earsplitting magical siren went off immediately: the Caterwauling charm. But a second later, the protective enchantments vanished and the entire Order rushed inwards. Once right outside the side door to the Manor, Lupin turned around and cast the powerful anti-apparition jinx. No one would be escaping or entering from that moment forth. Harry looked to his right again and saw that Ron and Mr Weasley were already inside the Manor. Likely already duelling. Then they heard an explosion and he looked up at the roof of the mansion, to see fireworks blasting in all directions energetically. The fireworks then strangely formed into a gigantic letter 'W' like they had in his fifth year at Hogwarts. Fred and George were entering with style. Harry and Lupin had a quick chuckle, before nodding to each other and bracing themselves to enter. A moment later, they blasted the side door open and rushed into the first floor of the Manor.

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The fireworks at The Burrow weren't planning to go out anytime soon, and the other four people had already gone back inside. Hermione hurried back inside.

"Mrs Weasley, would you be able to save some dinner for Malfoy?" asked Hermione, despite the fact that earlier he said he didn't want any. Mrs Weasley nodded, without even looking at Draco at all.

"I'm not hungry, forget it!"

"If you don't eat you'll only die faster. For now though, you're coming with me," said Hermione cheerfully, almost skipping over to the lounge. Draco rolled his eyes; Hermione skipping definitely wasn't a good sign. Whatever made her this happy couldn't be good. Although she looked kind of cute when she was happy, so it wasn't that bad.

"Up, we're going outside," said Hermione, grabbing the blanket that was over him.

"Are you mad? You just said if I didn't eat I'd die faster, and now you want me to get up!" Draco argued, pushing his previous thought about her being cute firmly from his mind.

"You won't regret it, trust me," said Hermione in excitement, "And besides, I'm going out there again even if you don't come."

"Oh no, I wouldn't want you to leave me here all alone," muttered Draco sarcastically, but he began trying to get up anyway. He was personally sick of just lying on the couch, doing nothing while he missed his chance to save his parents. He felt mild jolts of pain stir along the gash on his chest, despite the magic which was reducing the pain. Once he was in a sitting position, Hermione carefully wrapped the blanket over his shoulders and offered him her hand. He looked up at her warily, having no idea what she was up to. What could possibly be making her this happy, and even cause her to help him outside? His curiosity got the better of him, and he held her hand and pushed himself up. His legs went weak and he wobbled a bit, causing Hermione to move closer and hold some of his weight.

"Don't Granger," he muttered, nudging her away gently, "I've got this."

"Fine, but don't collapse," she replied in amusement, despite being nudged away. She knew he wouldn't let a mudblood help him walk. He had too much pureblood pride for that.

"I won't," he said, wrapping the blanket around himself tightly. As he began to walk, he cringed in pain and she could see his stomach muscles underneath the bandages flexed tightly. But he was walking, and that was good enough. She lead the way outside and when the door opened he could hear the sound of fireworks going off. Lots and lots of fireworks, exploding with deafening sound. How on earth didn't he hear them from inside? Some sort of magic must have been preventing the sound. They walked out into the garden and he looked up into the sky, fascination crossing his face. It didn't even look like it was night time, as the sky was a blur of never ending bright colours. They still seemed to be multiplying. A slow smile formed on Draco's lips, without him even realising it. Hermione looked up at him and was surprised to see him smile. It was rare to see him genuinely smiling at anything, rather than his trademark smirk.

"Are these the same ones from our fifth year?" asked Draco curiously. He felt strange after he asked. 'Our fifth year'. He felt odd saying it, even though it was true. They were in the same year at school, in the same classes frequently. They had been for six years, it wasn't like they were strangers. They were classmates. Even though they were opposites in almost every way, they'd been helping each other and talking freely for the past two weeks. Why on earth did it feel so strange then? He sighed internally. Why was he bothering to think so deeply about all of this? It was confusing and irritating. They were classmates, but she was a muggle-born. They'd been helping each other for nearly two weeks, but she was a muggle-born. They should be able to talk normally, but she was a muggle-born. But, but, but. Mudblood this, pureblood that. He was growing tired of the thoughts.

"Yeah, that's why I haven't bothered trying to stop them. It'll just make them worse. Fred and George might have tweaked them a bit though, because inside we can't hear them. Which I guess is nice, I wouldn't really like listening to fireworks go off for hours," said Hermione calmly as she looked up at them. Draco looked down at her, seeing the colours reflecting off of her eyes. It's not as if I can just ignore her blood status and be friends with her because we went to school together, Draco thought to himself. Hogwarts didn't mean anything, we hated each other the entire time anyway. Even if Voldemort was defeated and the war ended, a friendship between them surely wouldn't last. Potter and Weasley would never allow such a thing. His parents wouldn't even allow association with a mudblood, let alone friendship. He sighed quietly, looking back at the fireworks. Even with the beautiful sight above him, he felt his spirits drop.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Hermione curiously, hearing his sigh and looking up at him.

"Nothing. I'm just confused," Draco replied shortly. That was an understatement. He was going insane. He was over thinking everything, questioning things he'd grown up believing, contradicting and disagreeing with himself. He didn't even know what he believed in anymore. Wasn't he supposed to be superior, proud, and able to do whatever he wanted? Yet his parents still dictated which girls he could talk to, even as an adult. Great. No doubt Granger's muggle parents didn't mind who she was friends with. She could be friends with muggles, mudbloods, half-bloods and purebloods. She had complete freedom, and he didn't. None of these things mattered to him at Hogwarts, so they shouldn't matter to him now. Why did they?

"It doesn't look like it. You have that really serious face again. Like you're concentrating extremely hard on something," Hermione mused as she looked at him.

"It's nothing, Granger," he snapped impatiently, losing his chain of thought. It was Hermione's turn to sigh, as she observed him go back to being cold, rude, snappy and unhappy. Back to being overly Slytherin-like. She had to admit, at least he wasn't calling her a mudblood and walking back inside, leaving her standing here alone, like he would have done in the past. But he wasn't exactly being normal either. Would it really hurt him to open up to her at least once? Would it be so hard to just be honest, and speak his mind? They seemed to be getting along quite well before... well, before Harry had Sectumsempra'd him for the second time. And before the Order left to kill Voldemort without him, putting his parents in significant danger. Plus, he was going to die if Snape didn't arrive in time to heal him. Fine, Hermione thought, he had plenty of reasons to be in a bad mood. But she was still a muggle-born in his eyes. It was stupid to expect him to just talk to her as if they were the best of pals. But still. They had escaped Malfoy Manor together, survived countless dangerous situations, avoided Death Eaters and snatchers, sneaked into Hogwarts, destroyed a horcrux, argued with Harry, Ron and each other, ate and slept in the same house, and talked almost like friends, all in the past two weeks.

So, surely they could talk like friends after all of that, Hermione decided. She looked up at him again, and noticed that he still had that curiously serious expression. He looked like a completely different person when he was concentrating on something hard enough. Well, she'd give him something to think about alright. Starting the moment they got back inside, she was determined to learn how his frustratingly Slytherin brain functioned. And she was going to understand what he was thinking, and why he was acting the way he was.

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'None of these things mattered to him at Hogwarts, so they shouldn't matter to him now. Why did they?'

Draco suddenly had the answer to that question. At Hogwarts they just hated each other out of habit and instinct. Childhood grudges between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and old prejudices between muggle-borns and purebloods were what separated them. Deep down, he knew this. Memories of the past two weeks flooded through his mind, specifically, memories of her. He liked Hermione Granger, more than he would like to admit. But at the same time, how in the world could they ever be friends? It was an absurd idea. But he just couldn't stop thinking about it... or her.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	17. Chapter 17

By the time they'd gone back inside, Draco looked significantly weaker. His bandages were blood soaked again as well, something that Hermione hadn't noticed until they were under the indoor lights. He laid back on the couch, letting out a breath of relief. On either side of the couch were warm armchairs and the fireplace was directly in front of it, with a fire already flickering there. At last most of the Order was gone and he wouldn't have to see Potter or Weasley's faces for a while. But before he could relax or get comfortable, Hermione was already beginning to replace the bandages again.

"You really should have said something," she said in annoyance as she was taking the blood soaked bandages off. Draco shrugged in response, wincing as the bandages were removed.

"I'm guessing the pain relieving spells are wearing off too?" Hermione continued, raising an eyebrow.

"It doesn't matter."

"How doesn't it matter? Honestly Malfoy, you're bleeding to death," Hermione said exasperatedly.

"And I don't want to be nursed," he gritted out. He was going to add, 'nursed like a child' but he stopped himself. Why wouldn't she just drop it? Fine, he didn't say anything when the spells wore off outside, why was that such a big deal? So what if he was in pain for a while. He still had some ego, pride and dignity left, and he refused to ask anyone for help. It wasn't like anyone from the Order would care anyway, and he doubted that they'd end up getting Snape either. In fact, the only possible way to capture Severus Snape was if he surrendered freely. He was the ultimate spy and escapee, and a master duellist. The ultimate Slytherin. He'd fooled Dumbledore, the greatest wizard in history, for years. Of course nobody really knew that Snape had been spying for Dumbledore this entire time, and still was. The point was, in Draco's eyes, unless Snape turned himself in, he'd be lying here bleeding out for many hours to come. And it wasn't going to be a pleasant experience. He'd been dreading the situation from the moment Potter had spat the incantation out. Bloody Gryffindor's.

"What's that supposed to mean? You don't want to be nursed by me because I'm a mudblood?" began Hermione angrily, once again tugging Draco from his thoughts.

"That's not what I meant," Draco snapped. She took everything to offence, as if expecting him to insult her. He blinked, and then sighed at himself. Well of course she expected it to be an insult, he'd been insulting her since they first met. But she didn't have to be so biased about it, assuming him to always mean harm. He silently cursed himself: now he was being a hypocrite. He'd been biased about her blood status since she was an eleven year old girl. The way she acted was his fault. And he felt bad about it. Where on earth was this conscience coming from? A few moments had passed and he realised that she was ignoring him.

"You do know that wasn't what I meant," he began.

"Whatever. Like you said, it doesn't matter," Hermione responded. Draco rolled his eyes. What on earth was he meant to say? She finished taking the bandages off and went to get more, leaving him to feel like crap even though he hadn't said anything bad. He tried to imagine what her reaction would be if he suddenly called her a mublood. Now that would be amusing. He found himself smirking, remembering what it felt like to be completely free back at Hogwarts. He could call anyone anything he wanted. He used to call Hermione a mudblood during class just to see what kind of mood she was in. Or just because he was bored, or he wanted something to laugh at. There was never any meaning behind it, he just knew she hated it and he got a kick out of her angry reactions. It was simple. Hermione returned without saying anything, and she pulled her wand out and began casting all the healing spells on his wound. Of course, Draco thought in amusement, she's already learned all the healing spells from Mrs Weasley.

He continued dwelling on his previous thoughts. Perhaps sometimes he called her a mudblood on purpose, if he really wanted to hurt her feelings. But that was the problem with Gryffindor's, their feelings were always so out in the open. They were easy to insult because they made it obvious that their feelings were hurt, and that's why it was funny. They knew nothing about hiding their emotions, or being cunning. Hermione used to pretend that she didn't care, but it was so obvious that the word bothered her, which was why every Slytherin used it. Gryffindor's were open books. He took a deep breath, forcing all of these thoughts from his mind. There was no point dwelling on the past anyway. The ultimate truth was, she had helped him and he had helped her. He liked her. And no matter how much he hated her friends, there was a chance they'd save his parents' lives. After coming to this conclusion, Draco took another deep breath as she was nearly finished wrapping the bandages around his wound.

"I seriously didn't mean anything before. The spells wore off, I ignored it and you made a big deal out of it. Can we move on?" he asked, as though the entire situation was ridiculous.

"You know, this is the third set of bandages that you've soaked in blood. You haven't realised it yet Malfoy, but your already pale skin is a shade paler. And I'm the one who has to watch," said Hermione, forcing her voice to be calm. That's why she's being so serious, Draco thought, she doesn't want to watch me die. He'd seen multiple people die over the past couple of months. He wondered whether she'd seen anyone die. Surely she had, she was part of the 'Golden Trio'. Everyone was dying in the war, she had to of witnessed death at least once. Or perhaps she hadn't. They'd been hiding in the little tent for months, hidden and broken off from all of the death and destruction that Voldemort was causing. Perhaps watching him slowly die really was affecting her. He tried another approach.

"So what does it take for you to act normal again? An apology?" he asked awkwardly.

"You want me to act normal? You're the one who's been deep in thought, acting strange, letting himself slowly die without asking for help!"

"You noticed that I've been deep in thought?" Draco asked.

"It's obvious, but that's beside the point!" said Hermione in frustration, sitting in the armchair in front of him.

"Okay fine, if the spells wear off I'll mention it next time. Just don't make such a big deal about it," Draco said irritably.

"Why? Does being healed by me hurt your ego or something?" Hermione asked, with equal irritation.

"This is what I mean. Like twenty minutes ago you were bloody skipping, and now it's the end of the world," he replied, sneakily evading her question. The truth was that yes, his ego was being beaten up at the moment. He'd been cursed by Potter, he'd used the word 'please' when speaking to a Weasley and he'd thanked a muggle-born.

"And this is what I mean. You're acting all uncaring about the fact that you're dying, when it is a big deal. You've been deep in thought for a while, and yes it's obvious, and you won't tell me what you're thinking about. It's irritating," Hermione finished.

"So? What do you want me to do?" Draco scoffed.

"Just be honest for once, talk about stuff," she answered blatantly. It felt extremely odd to be asking him such a question, given that he was a Slytherin and they'd never gotten along in the past. Hermione suddenly realised how private he was. Sure, he'd talked about Crabbe and Goyle a few days ago, he'd mentioned that it was horrible living with Bellatrix and Voldemort. And even though he hadn't actually said it, it was obvious that he was scared for his parents. Hermione felt as if she'd gotten to know him more in the past two weeks, than all of Hogwarts put together. But he was still keeping so much to himself.

"Talk about... stuff," he sneered the word out.

"Fine, I honestly thought we were getting along," snapped Hermione, looking hurt.

"Okay I'll talk about stuff, just as long as you stop being so up tight about it," Draco said quickly. They looked at each other for a moment, Hermione seeming to doubt him.

"So you'll be honest? You promise?" she asked curiously.

"To an extent. Don't expect me to just spill all of my deepest, darkest secrets because of a single promise," he said, but Hermione was already smiling as she thought of her first question.

"Okay, why are you acting like you don't care," she asked immediately. Draco paused, thinking of an answer.

"Don't think Malfoy, just say," Hermione ordered.

"I don't know, because caring is a sign of weakness? Why care when there's a good chance that Snape won't show up?" he said, shrugging - of all things - carelessly.

"But he will show up, I made Harry promise," Hermione argued.

"And you trust people too easily Granger, he'll break that promise without thinking twice about it!" Draco said impatiently. She appeared so naive to him.

"Okay fine, since there's a very slim chance that Snape won't arrive in time, trust me instead," said Hermione.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded curiously. Hermione leaned forward a bit, a smile forming on her lips.

"What is the incantation of Snape's spell, and don't say you don't know, I know you know," she said quickly before he could interrupt. They were both thinking the same thing. Of course he had to remember what the incantation was, Harry used Sectumsempra on him the year before in the bathroom. And it was Snape who arrived and healed him, it was Snape who'd said the counter-curses' incantation right in front of him. He had to remember.

"I only remember it vaguely. I was disorientated. Besides, you wouldn't be able to do it," Draco said, shaking his head.

"I'm able to do anything in case you haven't realised, I'm the smartest witch of our age," said Hermione smugly, with a superior smirk that was commendable, but not good enough for his standards.

"You can't do it like me, Granger."

"Don't change the subject, Malfoy. The incantation please," Hermione demanded. He said not to expect him to spill any of his deepest secrets. How was this even an important secret? It was only a counter-curse.

"It's not mine to tell everyone. It's Snape's invention," Draco said uncomfortably.

"You're being ridiculous! I'm sure Snape wouldn't mind if you told me so that I could save your life," she said in disbelief.

"And afterwards you'll go telling everyone, then his curse wouldn't exactly be a curse any more would it?" Draco replied, raising an eyebrow. He had a point, but Hermione couldn't believe what he was saying.

"What's more important, your life or a horrible curse? In case you haven't noticed, it's Snape's curse that's gotten you into this mess. Perhaps he shouldn't have written it in an old Potions book, then Harry would never have found it," said Hermione, folding her arms angrily.

"How would you like it if Dumbledore had invented some sort of amazing spell, and there was a spell which stopped it from working and I went around telling everyone," Draco said in an attempt to make her understand, but Hermione just burst out laughing.

"Snape's curse is sickening, not amazing! After the war is over there won't be any need for curses or violence anyway. But if it means so much to you, I promise I won't tell anyone. Just trust me," said Hermione gently.

"Trust you," Draco muttered sarcastically. He was stalling, to have more time to think about it.

"Yes, trust me. I will save your life and never tell a soul about the incantation," Hermione promised. As if to emphasise it, she held her hand out confidently.

"Don't start with the muggle hand shaking business," Draco groaned, although he was halfway between smirking and smiling.

"Do you want to live or die. This is a life changing decision," said Hermione in mock seriousness, her hand still extended to him. After a few seconds, he finally sighed and gave in. Pushing himself up against the pillows, he leaned over and shook her hand. He'd never admit it, but it honestly felt nice to just sit here and be normal with her. As if they were friends. Of course shaking her hand was utterly ridiculous, but at least they both knew that it was a joke. He realised that they were still holding hands, not even shaking, and he let go awkwardly. Hermione just smiled and blushed, but continued relentlessly with discovering the counter-curse.

"I'm waiting," she prompted subtly.

"Don't get your hopes up. I may have heard it wrong, there might be difficult wrist movements involved," Draco began reluctantly.

"Malfoy please, just relax. I'm not sure what it is about Slytherin's and secrets, but I'm sure Snape won't care. Tell me the incantation, I'll figure out the rest," Hermione said.

"Fine. I'm holding you to your promise, you can't tell anyone, not a soul," Draco said.

"Yes, yes, yes!" said Hermione, waving her hand impatiently, getting rather excited.

"What's got you all hyped up?" scoffed Draco, smirking at her.

"You! You've made such a big deal over this counter-curse, just say it already!" she said, almost pleadingly. Draco smirked again. If his life wasn't actually on the line, he'd probably keep on stalling just to make her whine and beg, but his life was on the line. He was even more excited and nervous than she was to discover if he might actually be saved, but again, it was just so easy for him to act as if it meant nothing. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to remember the moment over a year ago.

"Okay. He said it almost like a song, three times: 'Vulnera Sanentur'," he murmured the words in a low voice, mimicking the way Snape had said them. He opened his eyes, and saw that Hermione was giddy with excitement.

"Finally! Come on, lets try it," she said, pulling out her wand quickly.

"Calm down, you could make it worse it you mess it up," Draco began uncertainly.

"I can't believe it took you that long to say it. I've only asked two questions so far, I've got more you know," Hermione continued as she sat on the edge of the couch beside him. Draco rolled his eyes.

"If you've got more questions then just let me die instead," he muttered sarcastically as she began taking the bandages off. Hermione just smiled, and when she'd taken the bandages off, she cleared her throat and pointed her wand at the wound.

"Hmm. What if something does goes wrong?" she asked suddenly.

"Maybe that's why I didn't want to tell you it, what a comforting thing to say right before you're about to try it," Draco began as he eyed her wand nervously. He was interrupted by her laughter, and she appeared completely at ease. She was so confident with spells. He watched as she cleared her throat again and took a deep breath. And then her deep brown eyes seemed to narrow in focus, and her hand steadied as she pointed at the top of the wound. It was bleeding again already, and Draco looked down worriedly, despite himself. She might not realise it, but he had put a lot of trust in her. What if it did go wrong?

"Vulnera Sanentur," Hermione said clearly, moving her hand from the top of the gash to the bottom. They both gasped, as all of the blood began to clear, and it looked much cleaner. Remembering that Snape had said it three times, Hermione repeated the incantation again, doing the same hand movement. Next the skin seemed to knit together magically, and with the third incantation it was healed completely. All that remained was a long, raw scar. Hermione was smiling proudly. The entire secret was just two words. She looked up and saw Draco's astonished expression.

"The Dittany, Granger," he said, nodding towards her pocket.

"Oh, right," she said, pulling it out. The new scar now looked like it was a few days old. Hermione dropped a bit of the Dittany onto it, and rubbed the liquid into the scar with her hand. Magical mist rose from the scar, but when Hermione was finished it had completely vanished. Just like Snape had promised, if Dittany was used immediately after the counter-curse, there would be no lasting effects. It was as if the curse had never even happened. There was silence, and Draco was surprised by what happened next. Hermione kept her hand on his chest where she'd rubbed the Dittany in, and she'd spotted the faint outlines of another scar. Last year it was too late for the Dittany by the time Snape had carried him to the hospital wing from the bathroom, where Harry had first used the curse. Hermione sat closer to him on the couch as she traced the other scar with her fingertips gently, from his chest down to his hip where it ended. He was mesmerised by her touch, and didn't say a word. He looked from her hand to her face, and couldn't deny the fact that she was pretty. Dazzlingly pretty.

His thoughts were suddenly torn from her face back to her hand. She'd stopped tracing his scar, and had instead touched his left forearm. Her fingertips traced another mark, a darker mark. One that he'd been hiding for the past two weeks with long robes and long sleeved shirts. He knew she'd probably seen it before. But she was kind enough not to mention it or judge him for it. He looked at her face as she continued tracing along the Dark Mark. She was expressionless. He expected a frown, a disgusted look, maybe even a glare. But instead she was expressionless, just staring at it. As if coming out of a trance, he jerked his arm roughly out of her fingertips, causing her to flinch. They made eye contact, neither of them fully understanding what just happened.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have touched it," said Hermione, moving her hand away and blushing a shade of crimson.

"Forget it. Just forget it," Draco said, not sure how he felt. Embarrassed? Ashamed? Disgusted with himself? All of those were true. But there was another feeling, another emotion mixed in with the rest which he didn't fully understand. Scared. Scared of rejection, not just rejection from her, but rejection from every other witch and wizard he will have to meet in the future. He was branded physically and mentally with the black skull-like mark on his arm until the day he died. He also felt anger, anger at the fact that she'd been bold enough to touch it. If she hadn't touched it, he wouldn't have to relive all the bad emotions and memories it still caused.

"Do you... want to talk about it? I mean, this would be a good time for honesty and talking about-"

"Stuff? So when you said 'lets talk about stuff', what you really meant to say was, 'I wonder if he has that filthy mark?'" Draco burst out furiously, moving to get up.

"Of course not, I just want to help!" Hermione insisted, grabbing his hand to stop him from walking away.

"You can help by never mentioning this to anyone, and never touching me again," Draco snapped, ripping his hand from hers and glaring down at her when he stood up. For some completely bizarre reason, she had tears in her eyes. Why the hell would she be crying? It was obvious that he didn't want anyone seeing it or touching it. This was entirely her fault!

"I wouldn't tell anyone, that's just cruel."

"Good, not many people know about it and I plan to keep it that way," Draco growled.

"Will you sit down?"

"Go to bed Granger, it's late."

"I didn't mean to hurt you!" Hermione said, keeping eye contact as she stood up in front of him.

"You didn't hurt me, just leave me alone!"

"Then why don't you want to talk to me?" demanded Hermione.

"I don't want your help, I don't want to talk to you, we were never friends and we never will be. Go away," said Draco as he glared down at her, putting as much hate into his words as possible. There was no sneer or smirk at all, his jaw was just set in a firm line and his eyes were burning with anger and pain at having to say something so cruel to her. Hermione recoiled at his words, looking almost surprised that he would say such a thing. He could see it in her eyes that that had hit home.

"That hurt," she choked slightly.

"So does my arm after you touched it," spat Draco in reply.

"So that's it? I help you with everything, I save your life, and I'm still just a mudblood to you?" Hermione asked painfully, still not moving from where she was in front of him. Draco took a deep breath. That was too far, he wouldn't admit to that. He didn't want to hurt her feelings, he just desperately wanted to be alone after having his Dark Mark be exposed. After he didn't reply and just continued to glare coldly at her, a single tear rolled down her cheek. She pushed past him and walked away. He heard her bedroom door slam shut a few moments later. She slept in Ginny's room, which was on the same floor as the lounge room. He fell back onto the couch, feeling absolutely drained.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	18. Chapter 18

Hermione should never have touched the mark. He should never have let her, he shouldn't have even let her touch his chest. He should have just pushed her hand away and put a shirt on to cover the mark up again. But he didn't push her away, because he genuinely liked her. He'd been so captivated by her touch, she looked so undeniably beautiful that he could have stared at her for hours. But why did she have to touch the mark... he looked down at his left forearm, directing all of his anger at the black, swirling skull etched into his skin. In a way, he was directing all of his anger at himself, because the mark was now part of him. If only there was some way to remove it, but he knew there wasn't. He'd asked Snape during his sixth year. It was impossible, unless you cut off your arm or something. No one had ever tried that before, and he didn't plan to either. He looked away from the mark, feeling too sick to look at it anymore. Instead he stared into the fire, wondering what to do next. It wasn't like he could just go and apologise. Like she'd ever accept his apology. What he'd said was cruel, even more so now than when they were at Hogwarts. She'd only been trying to help, she thought they were almost friends, and she was right, he was beginning to recognise her as a friend too. Yet he insulted her and utterly turned her down. All because of his own insecurities, his own fear of being rejected for something out of his control. The guilt he felt was like a dull pain in his chest, replacing the wound that she had healed.

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He was still dwelling on Hermione even half an hour later. He just couldn't get her out of his head. He couldn't think of anyone or anything else.

Should he just ignore her? Act as if she didn't matter, pretend that he wasn't guilty for what he said? Just hope to get through the next couple of days without speaking, and then go back to living with his parents when the war ended? When - if, he corrected himself - the war ended, a friendship between them would never last. He'd already been through this. It was a dead end relationship. They came from two completely different sides of society. So why bother apologising if he'd never see her again? There was still the chance that his parents would be sent to Azkaban. If that happened, he'd be completely alone. There wouldn't be any parents to live with. Maybe he would be sent to Azkaban as well, in which case he'd rather be dead. Kingsley might be able to help him, the Auror was apparently running for Minister for Magic.

Draco considered a different course of action. Apologise to Hermione, try and make it up to her, admit that he wants to be friends. With Hermione's friendship he'd be able to earn the rest of the Order's respect and give his family a better name. Once he had Kingsley's trust, himself and his parents would have a better chance of not being sent to Azkaban. That was a smarter plan. That was a cunning plan. His instinct's told him that it was the best thing to do.

Yet here were still many issues to address. The more you care about something, the more you have to lose. Why care about Hermione, about a mudblood, if there was almost zero chance of their friendship ever lasting. Draco considered this for a few minutes. At the end of the day, regardless of blood status, his parents, his pride or any other excuse, he needed the Order's help. He needed Kingsley's help, and most of all, he wanted Hermione's friendship. The pang of guilt over what he'd said returned, and that was the tip of the iceberg for him. It was the first time he'd made her cry since they were little, and he decided that he had to apologise. He also needed to do it before the Order returned. He looked around for the small bag which had the shirts in it, hoping to cover his Dark Mark up, but of course, that was in her room as well. Whether he apologised or not, he needed a shirt from her to hide his arm from everyone else. He stood up, took a deep breath, and walked over to her door. He knocked, and there was no response.

"Granger?" Draco called curiously. More silence followed.

"I want to apologise."

"I don't accept, just go away," came Hermione's voice from inside.

"Well I'm going to say it whether the door is closed or not, so..." Draco trailed off, preparing himself to apologise to the wooden door. Perhaps it'd be easier talking to the door, rather then having to say it to her face. Before he could begin, the door swiftly opened causing him to jump slightly as he looked down at her. She looked ready to slap him, and he couldn't blame her. Thankfully her eyes weren't red or puffy, they were just filled with anger instead. Anger was easier for him to handle than tears.

"Go on then, not that it'll make any difference," Hermione spat out, glaring up at him furiously.

"I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it. There," Draco said quickly.

"Not good enough."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"A simple sorry isn't enough! If you really expect me to forgive you for everything, you have to say everything! Be honest, straight forward, brave, swallow your bloody pride!" Hermione screamed, her eyes glinting in anger and hurt as she slammed the door shut in his face. Draco blinked in shock. A slap probably would have been nicer. Evidently, 'everything' meant an apology for the past six years as well. Despite her being honest with him, giving him a chance and putting her trust in him, he'd given nothing in return. Perhaps he did owe her a genuine apology for everything he'd put her through. He could do this, he had to. He took another deep breath.

"I've been hiding my Dark Mark because I'm ashamed of it, I never wanted you to see it. I said that stuff earlier because I knew it'd hurt your feelings, and I knew that it was the only way to make you leave me alone. That doesn't mean I meant it. I just wanted to be alone because I was embarrassed. All you've ever been to me is nice, and in return I've just been cruel. I've been worried that if you saw the Mark, you'd hate me for it... so I rejected you before you could reject me. I say I don't care about things, because I've grown up to believe that the more you care about something, the more you have to lose," said Draco. His voice was beginning to shake as he said these things.

"All my life I've labelled and insulted others because of their blood types, like you. And now I'm forced to hide my left arm, so that I can't be labelled, insulted or judged for it. I'm a hypocrite, and I know that. I've been brought up to hide behind a mask, to veil my emotions, in order to keep a strong image. You saved my life, a-and I still haven't even said thank you. All Slytherin's are like this, it's just who I am. I'm only a-admitting this to you, because I truly believe that you're the nicest person I've ever met."

He wasn't crying. He was just struggling to get some parts out, because it was so against his true nature to be honest like this. He stopped there, his jaw set in a hard line as he closed his eyes and begged for some kind of mercy. So much for not spilling his deepest, darkest secrets. He didn't know what he was feeling in that moment. Humiliation, mostly. He imagined Hermione opening the door and laughing at him like he was some sort of joke. No doubt he'd deserve that, he'd laughed at her for being a know-it-all mudblood her entire life. Yet at the same time he felt relief at finally being able to let off some steam. Relief at finally letting go of the built up guilt in his chest. In an odd way, she was one of the only people he really trusted, apart from his parents and Snape. The door opened slowly, and he looked down into Hermione's face. She had tears in her eyes, and he realised that his own eyes were stinging as well.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as she moved forwards and wrapped her arms around him tightly, "I shouldn't have made you to say all of that."

Draco was once again shocked at how unbelievably nice she was. Her head was buried in his chest and her arms were wrapped around his waist, so he awkwardly held her there. There was one last thing he still needed to say in order to make things right.

"And... thanks, Granger. For saving my life, more than once." That was it. Of course, he hadn't apologised for everything as there was so much more that had happened between them over the past six years. He had a feeling that there was so much more to happen in the years to come as well. Such as, what on earth they would do after the war ended. But what he'd said was enough for the time being.

"Thank you for being honest. You're a good person, Malfoy," said Hermione as she pulled away and looked up at him, still holding him gently. She never thought she'd say that, but there it was. Despite the fact that he used to be a bully, and he was a Slytherin, a Malfoy, mean, rude, snide, egotistical and prejudiced... he was in no way evil, or a murderer. He was just as much a victim of the wizarding war as she was. In that moment they were in the same boat, and he'd gone out of his way to earn her forgiveness.

"You're freezing," Hermione continued awkwardly, indicating to his bare skin which she was still holding. She let go with a blush.

"You're warm," said Draco, with equal awkwardness. The fact that they'd actually just hugged each other surprised both of them. It was something he certainly didn't do every day. He felt like an idiot, but he didn't blush. He probably didn't have any blood left in his body to blush with, after losing it all from the curse.

"Déjà vu," laughed Hermione, in an attempt to change the subject, as she remembered when she was locked in the cellar at Malfoy Manor. At the time it was her who had been freezing cold, and Draco who had been warm. It felt like ages ago, even though it'd only been two weeks.

"What does that mean?" Draco asked in confusion.

"Oh, it's a muggle saying. It means that I've seen or heard that before," explained Hermione, realising that he knew nothing about muggles. "Remember back in the cellar?"

"Yeah, I remember. Speaking of muggles," said Draco, saying the word in amusement, "Do you have the bag with the muggle clothes?"

He wanted to cover up the Dark Mark as soon as possible, so that he wouldn't have to talk or think about it again. He also wanted to make sure that he had it covered up before the rest of the Order returned. If the rest of the Order returned... he shivered at the thought of them failing, and of Voldemort winning. If that happened the war would never end, and his parents would be doomed. Hermione got the hint, and nodded quickly as she went back into her room. She returned with the small bag and handed it to him, following him over to the couch again. Draco cringed at the idea of having to wear muggle clothes. Even though wearing muggle clothes was common, as heaps of Hogwarts students did, and Hermione always did, he still felt foolish. As he was looking for a shirt, he noticed Hermione glancing at his chest and arms from beside the fire.

"You're pale, you should probably have that dinner Mrs Weasley saved for you... it'll help," said Hermione quickly, when he noticed her watching.

"I'm not hungry," replied Draco, with a smirk as he pulled a long sleeved shirt on.

"You need something to eat to help regain blood and strength," she insisted.

"I'll just have a potion then."

"Malfoy this isn't the hospital wing," Hermione laughed as she headed for the kitchen. "There aren't any potions here."

If it'd been a few days ago, Draco would have insulted the Weasley family for not being able to afford healing potions. He held his tongue though, there was no point in creating another reason to fight with her. Once he was fully dressed and warming up, he pushed the couch closer to the fire and fell back onto it. Fatigue and exhaustion seemed to settle in, side effects from the loss of blood. He hadn't been paying any attention to himself for the past hour, all of his attention had been on... well, Hermione. He didn't know what to think of that.

"Here," came Hermione's voice from beside him. She handed him the dinner and knife and fork.

"Thanks," said Draco, before beginning to eat. As usual, Mrs Weasley's cooking was excellent.

"I'll be in my room," said Hermione with a smile as she left him. Even though she had hundreds of questions and things she wanted to talk to him about, it just felt strange. In the past two weeks they'd been talking because they were forced to. In the cellar they had to, in the tent they had to due to the close proximity and Hermione was often stopping him from fighting the other two Gryffindor's, earlier that night he was cursed and so they had to talk then. Now there was no reason to talk, they were just waiting for the Order to come back. It was funny how at Hogwarts she would have dreaded having to be near him, even with a good reason. Now she actually wanted to talk to him, just because she somehow enjoyed his unique company. She sighed and pulled out a book to read. Reading will easily take her mind off things, it always did.

\----------

Draco had finished eating and he took his plate into the kitchen. It was eerily quiet, since Mrs Weasley had gone upstairs. Dean and Luna had walked past the kitchen holding hands, to go sit outside in the garden. After checking the time and realising that it was half past nine at night, he assumed it was Luna's idea. Griphook was, as usual, in an upstairs room minding his own business. Hermione was in her room reading, and he was bored. After dumping his plate in the sink and returning to the couch, he was also anxious. It'd been well over an hour since the Order left. The fate of his parents, his family, his home and even his life depended on the Order. Surely it wouldn't take them over an hour of duelling to win? What if they'd lost, and were all lying dead at Voldemort's feet? Were his parents alive? Would they be sent to Azkaban? He wished he could talk to someone about all of it. Obviously he knew who that someone was, because he couldn't stop thinking about her. He wasn't going to go knocking on her door again though. As if on cue, two minutes later Hermione came back out with her book. She eyed the armchair opposite him, but instead timidly sat right beside him on the couch.

"I'm worried," said Hermione simply, as she curled her legs up underneath her and looked at him.

"So am I. Why is it taking them so long?" asked Draco.

"I'm not sure. Maybe You-Know-Who's putting up a good fight," said Hermione, shivering slightly as she said it. "Or perhaps they've already beaten him. They could just be locking the Death Eaters up and finding Snape."

Draco flinched slightly at hearing her say, 'locking the Death Eaters up'. If he were to be honest, he hoped neither of those outcomes occurred. He wanted Voldemort to die, he wanted his parents not to be locked up, and he didn't want them to find Snape, since he'd already been healed. He couldn't have everything though, sooner or later he'd have to accept the fact that his parents would be locked up. Hermione noticed his pained expression.

"Sorry, I didn't mean - I just meant Death Eaters in general," she said quickly, but Draco shook his head.

"It's fine. Most of the Death Eaters will be sent to Azkaban, I just hope my parents don't," he muttered, looking over at the fire.

"Well they haven't killed anyone, and they get to have a trial," said Hermione sympathetically. Draco felt sick at the prospect of his own parents, considered to be murdering psychopathic Death Eaters, facing criminal trial. He would like to think that it was unfair, but he knew it wasn't. It was the law, and it was inevitable.

"And Kingsley says he'll be running for Minister for Magic when the war is over. Who knows, maybe he's at the Ministry right now, making things right again," said Hermione, a spark of hope in her voice. Draco smiled at her choice of words, 'making things right again'. He couldn't agree with her more. He wished for that exact description, for things to be like they were before Voldemort rose to power. Yet once again, he knew that it wouldn't be that way. Things would never be the same for him again, not after all that had happened.

"I hope so, Granger," he said grimly.

"Enough of Azkaban though. Do you think that your parents... and, well, you..." began Hermione nervously, unsure of how to say it. Draco looked at her curiously, indicating for her to go on.

"Will they still hate me?" she went on hurriedly. She never failed to surprise him. Why on earth would she care if his parents hated her or not? He realised that she'd also said, 'well, you'. He quickly thought about it, once again looking deep in thought.

"They never hated you personally, it was just..." Draco started, trailing off. He wasn't sure how to say it without sounding offensive.

"The fact that I'm a mudblood," Hermione finished, with a sigh. Draco nodded, once again feeling an ache of guilt.

"But will they stay like that after the war?" continued Hermione.

"I don't know, Granger. Probably. Just ignore it, it doesn't mean anything anyway," said Draco uncomfortably. Now it was Hermione's turn to be surprised, and she sat up straighter to look him in the eyes.

"I've been meaning to ask, what are your views on blood status? And your parents. I never fully understood where the prejudices came from," she asked. Draco internally groaned, he knew that it would come to this. If they were to become anything even close to friends, sooner or later they'd have to have this conversation. Perhaps it was for the best.

"To you they're prejudices. To my parents, it's just tradition. It's tradition to marry only pureblood witches and wizards, so that magic stays in magic families," said Draco, keeping his explanation basic.

"But they hate muggle-borns. I'm nothing but a mudblood to them, why?" asked Hermione, determined to get the truth from him, regardless of how offensive it was.

"Well... historically, muggles did persecute magical folk. Old traditions also say that muggles stole the magic from pureblood families. How else would you be able to do magic, if both your parents are muggles?" asked Draco, shrugging slightly. It seemed logical.

"Malfoy, do you honestly think that I somehow stole my magic when I was an eleven year old girl?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"Of course I don't, that's ridiculous. It's impossible to 'steal' magic. But that's just what pureblood families believe, that's what I was brought up to believe," Draco insisted.

"But you don't believe it now? Why?" Hermione continued curiously.

"I never actually believed that you stole magic, like I said, it's absurd. At Hogwarts us Slytherin's just called you a mudblood because we knew you hated it," Draco admitted. It felt awkward having to explain this to her, but he figured that she already knew why the word was used. It was an insult intended to hurt her feelings, she'd always understood that. Hermione just nodded sadly, not having anything to say to that. Her upset expression made him feel horrible, and he silently cursed the way he acted when he was younger.

"Do you... do you hate being called a Death Eater?" she suddenly asked him, looking up.

"Yes. Yes, I hate it," Draco sourly admitted.

"And that's why you don't believe in prejudices that much any more?" continued Hermione. Her tone was laced with curiosity, as she struggled to understand him.

"To be honest Granger, I don't know what I believe in at the moment. Since you got thrown in the cellar two weeks ago, I've gotten to know you better. You're not as bad as I was originally taught to believe. On the contrary, you're... lots of things," Draco said slowly. He wanted to say that she was brave, nice, intelligent, cute, beautiful, but he kept all of this to himself. Hermione blushed, not knowing what to say, but he already continued.

"But the other night Tonks called me a Death Eater in a heaps... I don't know. Offensive way. It was insulting, and yet it reminded me of the way I called other's mudbloods. Just like how you were born into a family of muggles, I was born into a family of Death Eaters, and it wasn't up to me, the Dark Lord had complete control over everything. The fact that I'm now going to be judged for something that I can't change for the rest of my life, it..." he trailed off, with a heavy sigh as he glared into the flickering fireplace.

"Hurts?" Hermione finished for him. She was surprised because he was describing the exact same way she had felt at Hogwarts. Judged by something she couldn't change, judged by her blood status and parentage. They were as different as humanly possible: girl and boy, Gryffindor and Slytherin, muggle-born and pureblood, Order member and former Death Eater. Even their hair and eye colour were opposite. Yet some similarities were arising, and they were undeniably drawn to one another.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	19. Chapter 19

At around ten o'clock, Luna and Dean slipped back upstairs to their rooms. Draco and Hermione were still in the lounge room, now comfortably relaxed on the couch. They were both still waiting for the Order to return, even more anxious than before since the Order had been gone for nearly two hours now. But talking helped to take their mind off of it, so they'd been talking about anything and everything.

"I'm serious! What is shaking someone's hand going to do? If you were making an agreement, you'd make the Unbreakable Vow," said Draco, still confused by the muggle hand shake.

"Muggle's can't make Vow's, Malfoy. They shake each other's hand as a sign of trust," explained Hermione.

"Muggles," sneered Draco in amusement. "Even what they're called is stupid."

"Hey! My parents aren't stupid. And besides, they're called humans, just like we are," Hermione said firmly as she got more comfortable on the couch beside him.

"Except we're better. Admit it Granger, we are!" said Draco exasperatedly as he heard her sigh.

"I'm not going to judge them. I love my parents, grandparents, cousins, aunties and uncles, they're all muggles. I love my muggle school friends too, and I still see them at home. I might be 'better' than them, but power isn't everything, Malfoy. Love is," said Hermione simply, as she looked up to make sure he understood.

"Spoken like a true Dumbledore fan. 'Love is everything'," said Draco, but his halfhearted smirk faltered and was replaced with a thoughtful expression. He gazed into the fire, thinking on what she'd said. He still looked pale from Hermione's point of view, and he was beginning to get more and more tired with each passing minute. The only thing that would help him recover completely was sleep. He continued gazing tiredly at the fire, seemingly mesmerised by the flickering flames. Hermione smiled briefly at him, before opening her book again. She was getting tired as well. If the Order didn't arrive soon, they were probably both going to fall asleep in the next hour.

"What's your book about? Transfiguration?" asked Draco with a smirk.

"No, I'm not always studying. It's called 'Romeo and Juliet'," replied Hermione without looking up. She looked so peaceful when she was reading, he'd noticed this at Hogwarts of course, but back then she was always reading. This was the first time he'd seen her read anything in ages. The fire was lighting the room up in a golden glow, and the entire scene made him feel drowsy and relaxed.

"Never heard of it, sounds lame," Draco yawned.

"It's a muggle book, I enjoy it," said Hermione, glancing up at him. "You should sleep. I'll wake you when the Order returns."

"Right... g'night Granger," he murmured, as he leaned back into the couch. The words had barely left his lips before his eyes slowly closed, and he was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping. Since they were both on the same couch, he was tucked into a ball with his head against the other end. There was easily enough room for her to fit as well, since she was much smaller than him. With a drowsy smile, Hermione conjured a blanket with her wand and threw it over him and herself. She returned to her book, but within minutes she too had fallen asleep.

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During the early hours of the morning the Order finally returned. Hermione and Draco were sleeping on opposite sides of the same couch, under the same blanket. The fire was now a pile of red hot embers, emitting a warm glow over the sleeping figures. Next to Hermione's face was an open book, and it was obvious that she'd fallen asleep reading. Under normal circumstances, Harry and Ron would have been furious with her sleeping on the same couch as Draco. But the current circumstances were far from normal. The circumstances were both great, and tragic. Harry walked over and gently shook Hermione awake.

"Harry?" she murmured groggily, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah, it's me. We're back. Voldemort's dead, it's over," said Harry with a smile. His smile was halfhearted though, and it gave her the impression that something had gone wrong.

"Oh thank god you're okay, we waited up for ages. What time is it?" asked Hermione in relief as she quickly sat up. Harry decided to ignore the 'we waited' part. To his disappointment, her sudden movements had already woken up Draco as well.

"It's just past midnight, we were gone for five hours," explained Harry.

"Where is... where is Ollivander?" asked Hermione suddenly, as she looked around the room at the people present.

"Voldemort murdered him as soon as we arrived," said Harry grimly. Yet that was only the first thing she had noticed. Hermione's shock deepened as she looked around the room, and she noticed that there were other people missing. Her eyes set on George. There was only one George... there was meant to be two of him. Where was his duplicate? Where was his partner in crime, his identical twin self? His face was expressionless, emotionless, blank, empty and dead.

"F-Fred?" she only needed to say the name for her answer. George left the room, and they all heard the front door slam on his way out. The realisation of what had happened to him was surreal. Hermione couldn't even begin to imagine how devastated he was. Bill left the room to comfort his younger brother. After seeing George's face, everyone knew that only Fred could comfort and balance him again. His identical twin was the only person who could make him whole and complete. His lifetime partner was dead, gone and never to return.

"Fred and George were outnumbered on the left side of the building. Fred didn't make it out," Harry explained uncomfortably. Ron and Mr Weasley's eyes were red and puffy from grieving. They looked fine compared to George though, who looked completely and utterly broken. Hermione would never forget his face.

"And Tonks?" she continued, although she feared she already knew the answer.

"Was murdered by her aunt, Bellatrix Lestrange," said Lupin from the back of the group, who looked and sounded livid.

"Who will serve a lifetime in Azkaban, which will end with a Dementors Kiss. The worst punishment, and more than she deserves," he continued, before also leaving the room to have some privacy. It was clear that no form of punishment was enough for the murder that had been inflicted. The shock and devastation hit Hermione like a tidal wave, and she felt her eyes filling with tears. Nobody knew what to say, so instead they all went off in their own directions. Mr Weasley quietly went upstairs to his wife, to inform her of their sons death. Fleur went outside to be with Bill and George.

"M-my god," whispered Hermione as she wiped her eyes but she couldn't stop crying. Draco didn't know what to say, so he just remained silent. He felt terrible seeing Hermione cry again.

\----------

Harry and Ron did their best to change the subject from the death and grief to the Battle of Malfoy Manor, as it was going to be famously called. They described what it was like running through the corridors in darkness, duelling their way into the building. Ron described it as one hell of an adrenaline rush. But there wasn't much to talk about when it came to the battle itself, because mostly, it was just a number of duels. Harry explained how since only four people instead of six went through the left side of the house, that may have been a reason for Tonks and Fred's deaths. They were unfairly outnumbered. Hermione could have told Harry that if he hadn't cursed Draco, they wouldn't have been outnumbered. She was too devastated to start any arguments though. Apparently George had blamed himself for Fred's death, saying that he should have duelled better or shared the same fate. Likewise Kingsley was left with horrible guilt, being Tonks partner, and Tonks being Lupin's wife. All of their conversations returned to the same sad conclusion.

"And Harry died, Hermione, he actually died!" said Ron in urgency.

"How does that work?" asked Hermione in bewilderment, looking at Harry, who smiled.

"The night Voldemort tried to kill me, he accidentally attached part of his soul onto mine. When we were duelling, most of us ended up in this sort of meeting room with a long table. Lupin and I were duelling Voldemort, and at the same time Bellatrix murdered Tonks. You know how much I hate Bellatrix. I tried to duel her, forgot to protect myself, and Voldemort used Avada Kedavra on me. Lupin managed to stun Bellatrix, and continue duelling Voldemort with the Elder Wand by himself; he's a hero, Lupin. Shortly after that Kingsley arrived and I just woke up, untouched, and together the three of us finished Voldemort off. Then it was over," finished Harry modestly, as Hermione and Draco listened in awe. Since only Kingsley was in the room with them, they also went on to describe the horcruxes. Since the war was over and they trusted Kingsley, it was okay to mention the horcruxes at last.

"I grabbed the sword before we left too, and we used that to cut the snakes head off, and destroy the cup. And to be safe, George stabbed Voldemort's dead body with it a couple of times," said Ron with a grin. Hermione laughed aloud at that, even though it probably wasn't funny at the time. Even a dead Voldemort would have been frightening. But that was the point, he was dead. And all of his remaining horcruxes, even the sneaky ones attached to peoples souls, were gone. It was over.

"Malfoy, you're healed?" asked Kingsley in surprise.

"Yeah, I could remember the counter-curse during the night. I told Granger, and she managed to heal me," explained Draco, glancing at Hermione in a silent 'thank you'. He made sure it was brief though, because he could feel Harry and Ron's glares burning into him. Usually they would have congratulated Hermione on successfully accomplishing an advanced healing spell, but since she'd done it to save Draco's life, they didn't say anything.

"Oh, excellent. Either way, as promised, we captured Snape. Well, he voluntarily handed himself in when Voldemort was killed. He's waiting outside, claiming that he is on our side," explained Kingsley.

"A load of bullshit, if you ask me," Ron said darkly.

"He says he has evidence Ron, so we have to at least hear him out. I'm going to go and get Minerva in a minute, to begin confirming the evidence," continued Kingsley.

"Professor McGonagall? Is she coming here? Why?" asked Hermione in excitement. She was dying to talk to her old professor.

"Snape's evidence is in the form of memories. We will require a pensieve to access them, and Veritaserum to make sure he is honest in the process. Minerva will use Dumbledore's pensieve and she has access to potions at Hogwarts. And she is part of the Order, remember," Kingsley informed them. After explaining all of this, he stood up to leave.

"You're Minister for Magic now, I assume?" asked Draco from the couch.

"Yes, I became Minister shortly after we handed the Death Eaters over to face trial at the Wizengamot," said Kingsley with a nod.

"Where are my parents, what have you done with them?" Draco demanded as he stood up. Hermione was going to interrupt but decided to let Kingsley handle the situation. He seemed confident, and Draco deserved the truth.

"Malfoy, don't be alarmed. Your parents are perfectly safe as promised, they weren't harmed in the battle. I think it's safe to say that your mother Narcissa will not be criminally charged. Lucius, however..." said Kingsley, trailing off uncomfortably. He didn't know how to put it lightly, since there was no way to sugarcoat the fact that Draco's father was likely going to Azkaban.

"What about him?" Draco growled.

"You need to understand that I'm doing everything in my power to help your family. You and your mother are innocent. But Lucius has committed crimes. He's been a Death Eater for over seventeen years, even if he does regret it, he cannot take back his actions. To make matters worse, he broke out of Azkaban last year with Bellatrix and the rest of the Death Eaters, which is a severe enough crime in itself to put him back. Like I said, I'll do everything I can. But convincing the entire Wizengamot to let Lucius Malfoy go free will be no easy feat. If possible, I can lower his time to a year or two in Azkaban, which is nothing compared to the rest who will be there for life," explained Kingsley, doing his best to make it seem reasonable. It wasn't working, however.

"It doesn't matter how long someone is locked up in that place, it still tears them apart," said Draco furiously, but he knew there was nothing he could do to change his father's fate. His father was going to Azkaban. It was inevitable, and now frighteningly real hearing it from Kingsley. Without anything else to say or do, Draco left the room. Hermione watched him go sympathetically, then flinched as she saw him punch the wall on his way out, smashing a hole clean through. The sound resembled a smash and crunch. Whether his hand was broken or not, he wrenched it out of the wall and continued up the stairs.

"You better fix that!" Ron called after him. "Bloody git."

"Kingsley, what's going to happen to Malfoy?" asked Hermione, looking the new Minister for Magic directly in the eye. The powerful Auror seemed to be the perfect Minister for the current situation in wizarding society. He seemed to truly be doing his best to make things right again. She needed to know the truth about Draco, however.

"Draco is seventeen, he's an adult wizard now. He has to face trial," said Kingsley grimly.

"Surely you can't allow that? It isn't fair!" Hermione said in outrage.

"I know it doesn't seem fair, the law certainly isn't always fair. But the law is the law. Lucius will be sent to Azkaban. Draco will face trial. But I am doing everything I can Hermione, I cannot stress this enough," Kingsley said firmly. After that, he turned and walked out the front door without another word. Like he said, he was off to get Professor McGonagall so that they could prove whether or not Snape was telling the truth. Hermione sighed from where she was sitting on the couch. Silence ensued as Harry and Ron didn't know what to say. It wasn't like they cared about Malfoy at all, and they didn't know why Hermione seemed to.

"The war is over, but it seems like the aftermath is starting to settle in... there's been so much death and sadness in the last few hours," Hermione said gloomily as she stared at the last embers glowing defiantly in the fireplace. The room was still dark, and it would take a few more hours for the morning light to arrive. Harry sat down next to her, and Ron was already sitting on one of the armchairs.

"Let's not talk about the war then. You and Malfoy seemed... cosy," said Ron testily.

"Don't start, Ron," said Hermione immediately. She wasn't in the mood for it. They'd been back for less than an hour, and he was already finding something to argue about.

"Why not? You were sleeping together," he continued.

"I fell asleep reading a book, on the same couch as him! That happened a million times with us three back at Hogwarts in the Gryffindor common room!" argued Hermione in exasperation.

"Yeah, and he isn't one of us is he?" shouted Ron, pointing towards the stairs where Draco had left.

"Why can't you just drop it? His family is about to be torn apart, his life is a mess. All of our lives are messes at the moment! I don't want to argue with you about every little thing I do!" Hermione shouted back as she stood up, grabbed her book and headed for the stairs. She passed the hole in the wall, grimacing slightly. It might have been amusing to see if she wasn't so angry.

"Unbelievable," muttered Ron furiously after she left.

"I'm on your side, but she has a point. Lets just get through the next couple of days without fighting," said Harry uncomfortably.

\----------

"Let me see your hand," said Hermione gently as she sat beside Draco on the bed in his room. He lifted his right arm, revealing the bloodied and bruised knuckles. He looked depressed.

"Why did you hit the wall..." she sighed, reaching out and holding the injured fist delicately, and taking her wand out at the same time.

"What am I going to do after all of this?" asked Draco dully.

"Episkey... it's up to you, you can do whatever you want. Personally, I want to go back to Hogwarts," said Hermione excitedly.

"I can't go back there, the entire school will hate me. I can't get a job either, because of my... reputation," he muttered, flexing his repaired hand experimentally. As usual, it was perfect, just like Hermione's magic was perfect. That was one of the reasons he didn't bother trying to fix it himself, because he knew she'd do a better job.

"Well... do you want good news or bad news?" asked Hermione uncertainly. She wasn't too sure if she wanted to be the one to tell him he'd be going on trial soon, like the rest of the Death Eaters. He probably assumed he would have to. It was better to be prepared though.

"Bad news," he said.

"Kingsley said that you will have to face trial, being a seventeen year old adult wizard," said Hermione quickly, to get it over with as fast as possible.

"Great. More shit to deal with-"

"But the good news is that you have time to prepare, and I've got an entire library of books on magical law downstairs," continued Hermione with a determined smile. Draco appeared completely different now than he did at Hogwarts. Back then his hair was shiny and slicked back with gel, his eyes were arrogant and silvery, and his face always had a sneer on it. Now, he had ragged and untidy blonde hair. His eyes were a dull grey of hopelessness, with dark bags under them. His face was gaunt and exhausted. Whether this was from months of war and stress, or the recent injury, she wasn't sure. Yet he still had a defining, mature, Slytherin-like strength, as he nodded to her.

"To the books, then," he said in resignation.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked timidly, noticing how worn he appeared.

"With what?" snapped Draco defensively.

"With... everything. I'm feeling a sudden lift, I'm free now that You-Know-Who is gone. But you look drained, and upset," Hermione explained.

"I'm feeling a lift too, Granger. Life has been hell for me and my parents with You-Know-Who controlling us. But starting from this trial, I'll have to live with the consequences of being a Death Eater," answered Draco bitterly as he stood up to leave. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about it anymore, so Hermione nodded and led the way downstairs. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel terribly sorry for the poor wizard behind her. While her life was going to go uphill and rebuild in the next few weeks, his was going to rapidly fall apart.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	20. Chapter 20

When they reached the first floor they were greeted by Professor McGonagall and a number of other Hogwarts teachers and Ministry officials. The Burrow was very crowded due to the war finally ending, and because the new Minister for Magic was present with the famous war hero, Harry Potter. All sorts of witches and wizards were running in and out of the house, doing jobs, organising things, socialising and eating. The area was full of activity, but Hermione headed straight for her old Transfiguration teacher, to Draco's disappointment.

"Hello Professor McGonagall!" greeted Hermione cheerfully.

"Hermione? Oh what a pleasant surprise!" said the old witch. Draco was shocked by old Professor McGonagall appeared. Everyone knew she was old, but beside Dumbledore she'd never seemed that old. Now, without Dumbledore and after the stress of having the Carrow's at Hogwarts and the war in general, Professor McGonagall looked nearly ancient. The two witches began talking about anything and everything involving Hogwarts and how Hermione had managed to survive and help Harry defeat Voldemort. Draco stood behind Hermione sourly, trying to ignore all of the Ministry officials walking around in the crowded living room. He felt like he was the only person who wasn't entirely happy. He was quite on edge, expecting an Auror to suddenly pounce on him and drag him off to Azkaban, screaming 'Death Eater! Death Eater!'. He found himself growing more anxious by the second as he listened in on Hermione and McGonagall.

"I'll be closing Hogwarts tomorrow morning. The students need to return home and celebrate the end of the war with their families. Of course, the Hogwarts year was almost over anyway, and exams would have been pointless as the Carrow's ruined the education this year," Professor McGonagall was explaining in a matter-of-fact voice. Two know-it-all's in one conversation, fantastic... Draco thought to himself in annoyance.

"They must have been horrible. Will Hogwarts be open again next year? Would I be able to finish my seventh year?" asked Hermione eagerly, at last getting the answer she'd been waiting for.

"Of course, dear. But re-opening it will be a tricky thing. This year was disastrous, the Carrow's taught purely the Dark Arts, students were being tortured, hiding in the Room of Requirement, avoiding class, Muggle Studies was a nightmare. To be fair, I've decided to repeat the entire year for all students, so that all students are given a fair chance. However that means the new generation of first years would miss out on attending, and there would be problems with too many students, too few teachers, lack of school funds... yes, it will be difficult to re-open Hogwarts, I'm afraid. But it will be done, I'm certain," finished Professor McGonagall in determination.

"There probably won't be many left from my year, though. Next year, wouldn't we be able to return and just tag along with those seventh years? Even though we'd technically be in our eighth year?" asked Hermione curiously.

"That is another option as well. I could combine the returning eighth year students with the new seventh years and have a larger seventh year cohort. But then there isn't enough room in the House common rooms to accommodate so many seventh years," sighed Professor McGonagall.

"Surely there's some sort of spare common room in Hogwarts? The castle is huge, after all. We could have an eighth year common room," Hermione suggested brightly.

"Don't get your hopes up Granger, you might end up stuck with Potter and Weasel again. This has been a lovely conversation, but I'd best be going," began Draco impatiently, deciding to quickly head back upstairs. Being surrounded by Ministry people was beginning to make him feel claustrophobic.

"Don't get your hopes up, Mr Malfoy. You might not believe it yet, but you may just end up back at Hogwarts even if you choose not to go next year," said Professor McGonagall, finally acknowledging the Slytherin who'd been standing behind Hermione and listening the entire time. Draco narrowed his eyes at the old witch, looking over Hermione's shoulder.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" snapped Draco.

"You have a trial, I assume?" continued Professor McGonagall.

"Of course I have a bloody trial," Draco snarled.

"Being an intelligent young wizard like yourself, who hasn't committed any severe crimes, where are they likely going to send you? To Azkaban with the psychopaths, or back to Hogwarts, where you'll be monitored and kept in check?" interrupted Professor McGonagall. She had a knowing twinkle in her eye, and it was almost like a female version of Dumbledore was looking down at him. He blinked, suddenly understanding the new Headmistress' words. She already knew the answer, and she was right, as usual.

"Hogwarts," admitted Draco bitterly, "I won't be going, though."

"We shall see," smiled Professor McGonagall shortly. Hermione was smiling as well, looking beside herself with excitement at the whole situation.

"Well, I can't wait for next year. It will be amazing to go back to Hogwarts after everything calms down," she said enthusiastically.

"Yes it will be a great relief. Let miss Weasley know I said hello when she returns home tomorrow. I'll see you at Hogwarts next year," said Professor McGonagall pleasantly, before turning and being bombarded with questions from Ministry officials. Re-opening Hogwarts was all over the Daily Prophet, given the issue of too many students and too few teachers. There would be an especially large influx of muggle-born and half-blood students returning to Hogwarts the next year, as they'd been on the run during the war. The additional repeating eighth years and new first year students added to the expected over-population. As such, Professor McGonagall had plenty of work ahead of her as new Headmistress.

"Finally, I thought you'd never stop talking. Let's get your books," said Draco in irritation.

"Why are you so uptight? Nobody's noticed you," said Hermione cheerfully, still in a good mood as they walked over to Ginny's room where the bag was.

"Good, because I don't want to be noticed," Draco muttered as they entered the bedroom. He let out a sigh of relief when the door closed, blocking out all of the noise and activity of The Burrow. Hermione walked over to the small bag sitting on her bed, and began pulling books upon books out, laying them out across the bed. Draco rolled his eyes, and looked around at the rest of the room. There were two beds, Hermione's seemed to be an old spare which was probably put there years ago for when she visited in the summer. That was to be expected: the Golden Trio, having cosy little sleep overs on school holidays. The walls in Ginny's room were pink, as was her bed and everything else. He smirked slightly. If the situation wasn't so serious, he would probably make multiple snide comments about the pink walls and pile of books. His smirk faded as he realised that he was probably a day away from facing trial. The thought scared him more than he would ever admit.

"Want to go upstairs?" asked Hermione casually.

"Up to you," shrugged Draco, not really caring where they were, as long as he wasn't seen by any Ministry members. His mind was still dwelling on the trial, Auror's and Ministry officials. He couldn't stop thinking about his fate. Would he end up in Azkaban to rot with the other Death Eaters, or would he be forced to return to Hogwarts, where he'd be perceived and treated like a murdering criminal by the entire school?

"Malfoy," said Hermione, snapping him out of his thoughts. She was watching him.

"What?" he muttered.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I'm fine. The pink is bothering me, let's go upstairs," he said, using any excuse to avoid talking about how he felt. He felt a lot of things, and none of them were good. Hermione nodded as she selected a few books, which turned out to be five thick textbooks. As she began picking them up, Draco walked over and took the books for her.

"Thanks," smiled Hermione. They left the pink bedroom and went back into the first floor of The Burrow, which was bursting with even more activity than before. It seemed that the Ministry had made a temporary headquarters out of The Burrow for the day. They moved in and out of the crowd as fast as they could to avoid conversation, as they headed straight for the stairs. Just as they reached the stairs however, Draco felt one of Hermione's books being snatched from his hands.

"'Advanced Magical Law'. You're helping him with his trial?" snarled Ron, glaring up from the thick textbook at Draco.

"Malfoy, can you wait upstairs?" asked Hermione calmly. He wrenched the book out of Ron's hands, before glaring at him furiously and walking up the stairs without a word. He passed the hole in the wall from earlier, and Hermione imagined him punching another one in effortlessly. Thankfully he didn't do that, and was gone within moments and she turned to Ron and Harry coldly.

"Yes, I'm making sure he doesn't end up in Azkaban, is that a crime?" she challenged, raising an eyebrow.

"He deserves to be in Azkaban!"

"No he doesn't!"

"You heard Kingsley, Lucius Malfoy has committed crimes!"

"Stop judging him by what his father has done! Not everyone end up exactly like their parents!" Hermione hissed.

"Well he's already a Death Eater, so he's heading in the right direction," Ron growled.

"And do you really think he wanted that? Do you really think he could have said, 'No thanks Voldemort, I'd rather not be a Death Eater'," argued Hermione, her voice laced with sarcasm and fury.

"I don't care about what he wanted, you can't change the past Hermione!" Ron yelled furiously.

"I'm not trying to change the past, I'm changing the future," Hermione responded.

"And you think him going free will be a better future? You think he would do the same for you, if the situation was in reverse?" demanded Ron, glaring down at her. There was a long pause as Hermione glared back, suddenly loathing the person she saw.

"It doesn't matter who I'm helping, if I can save an innocent life from years of anguish and torment in a place like Azkaban, I'll do it. Sorry for being compassionate, Ron, but that's just who I am. I thought you already knew that," she snarled, not wanting to even look at him any more. She turned on her heel and began climbing the stairs, without looking back or waiting for a reply. As she passed the hole in the wall, she had a sudden impulse to punch something with all her strength. No doubt this was exactly how Draco had felt earlier. But unlike him, it would probably be her hand which broke, not the wall, so she just kept stomping up the stairs.

She couldn't understand why Ron was being so damn difficult with everything. She'd always known that he was easily jealous and easily provoked by other people. Yes, he could easily just hate someone without even knowing them: he automatically disliked all of Ginny's boyfriends when they were younger. And all three of them had always hated Draco Malfoy, more than anyone else. But they'd always known that Malfoy wasn't a murderer, they'd always known he didn't have much choice in his fate, whether he lived or died was entirely up to Voldemort. Why then, would Ron say that Malfoy deserved to be in Azkaban? It was such an unfair, even cruel thing to say.

'You think he would do the same for you, if the situation was in reverse?'

The words echoed in her mind. That was probably the only thing that made any sense, and perhaps that was what motivated Ron to be so against helping Malfoy. If the situation was in reverse, she doubted that Malfoy would do anything to help her. But she also doubted whether he would have any choice in the matter anyway. He wouldn't be allowed to help her. If he even voiced his opinion in front of Voldemort, he would have been Avada Kedavra'd without a second thought. And in a way, he'd already proven what he would do if the situation was in reverse. Only weeks ago, he dropped his wand, too scared and afraid to act, when he'd been ordered to kill her. Just like he hadn't been able to kill Dumbledore the year before that. And he had helped her escape Malfoy Manor as well. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that she already had the answer to Ron's question.

Yes, he would do the same for her, indirectly. He would refuse to kill her, he would help her escape. He had already done these things. 'He only helped you escape so that he could escape too,' said a voice in the back of her head. That made sense too, he was a Slytherin after all. Everything he did had a reason, which usually involved himself benefiting. Hermione mentally shook herself. None of it even mattered. Why he decided to do the things he'd done, and the reasoning behind them, was a mystery. It didn't matter because he didn't deserve to go to Azkaban, and she was just making sure he didn't get sent there. That's all she was doing, nothing else. Plain and simple. End of story. Kind of.

\----------

Later that night, a pensieve was placed on the living room table, and numerous Ministry officials were standing by in anxious waiting. The silence and tension in the room was paramount, and there were more than forty, perhaps fifty people there. Harry and Ron were there, with the rest of the Order. Even Hermione and Draco, who had been heavily researching Magical Law for the past few hours, had left their room to witness the event. Severus Snape was standing in front of the table, and he was handed a vial of Veritaserum and ordered to drink it. His dark, deep black eyes swept around the room and fell on Draco for a few moments. It was as though they were speaking with their eyes, and then suddenly Snape looked away and drank the truth potion. After being interrogated rapidly by multiple Auror's and Order members, and answering truthfully to everything, he was given a wand cautiously. He used it to pull the memories from his temple, and he pushed the swirling, slightly transparent white material down into the pensieve.

His unaltered memories were his grand evidence, to prove that he had been Dumbledore's spy and right hand man for over seventeen years. Draco, personally, couldn't believe that Snape was really going to try and prove it. He knew that Snape was an excellent spy, and a great - if not the greatest - Occlumens, but he didn't think he was this good. Nevertheless, Kingsley Shackelbolt, the Head Auror and Minister for Magic, was first to plunge himself head-first into the pensieve of memories. He returned, only minutes later, looking shocked and surprisingly, very convinced. He looked at Snape in awe, seemingly speechless, and then nodded to the man beside him. One after the other, important Ministry officials and Wizengamot court members delved into the memories and returned thoroughly convinced. After what seemed like ages of not knowing what the actual memories were, to everyone else's annoyance, there was a lengthy discussion between the Wizengamot high council. After a second interrogation, in which Snape once again drank more Veritaserum, they had an official vote. In the end Severus Snape was cleared of all charges, apologised to and thanked profusely, and treated with respect by every person who had seen his memories.

\----------

Hours later, Snape was standing outside The Burrow in the darkness, deep in reflection. Everything had ended according to plan, everything had ended as Dumbledore had said it would. Thankfully, he hadn't been killed or locked up in the process. He'd proven his limitless courage and sacrifice for the greater good. No doubt he'd be all over the Daily Prophet now, no doubt his name was going to be put down in the history books for it all, alongside Potter's. Snape didn't care about the fame and fortune that came with being such a hero, and yes, 'hero' was one of the many words used to describe Harry Potter, and now himself. He was just glad that Voldemort was no longer alive, that Harry Potter had lived and that he was free from it all. The only reason he'd protected Harry in the beginning, was because of his love for Lily Potter. He'd always disliked Harry and never tried to hide it, but he did his duty, not for Harry or Dumbledore or anyone else. He did it all for Lily, even if she wasn't around to see it.

As for the memories he'd revealed to the Ministry, they were only memories of himself, Dumbledore, protecting Harry, lying to Voldemort countless times, and more. Everything else involving Lily he'd kept to himself. The memories simply proved that he'd been on the right side, the most obvious one, of course, was Dumbledore asking Snape to kill him when the time was right. This showed that even in Dumbledore's death, Snape had continued loyally for the greater good. Even when he was considered a murderer by the entire wizarding world, he'd continued to help Harry behind the scenes, putting himself at great risk. Though he didn't care about fame and fortune, he certainly enjoyed the validation that came with finally showing his true colours to the Wizengamot, and subsequently the wizarding world. He felt true pride and genuine happiness, for the first time in years. If it hadn't been for him, Voldemort may have never been defeated.

There was still one more thing to complete however. He still had memories that he needed to reveal to someone. Harry Potter deserved the truth about his mother and father. He deserved the truth that yes, his father was an overconfident git at Hogwarts, and yes, his mother was... well. The memories would explain the rest. Perhaps they would give him a better understanding of why Snape was the way he was. Snape doubted that he, himself, would ever change. What else did he have to live for? He'd lost the only woman he loved, Lily Potter. He'd lost his oldest and greatest friend, Albus Dumbledore. The worst part is, it was his own fault that they were both dead. He'd indirectly killed Lily due to his actions, and he'd directly and personally murdered Dumbledore, due to his orders. He had no friends, as the majority of his associations were now in Azkaban, and were people he hadn't liked to begin with. Although he'd proven himself to be 'one of the good guys', he doubted that the Order of the Phoenix would welcome him back with open arms. There was still years of distrust between him and everyone else in his life. That was the cost of living as a spy for seventeen years.

The reality of all of this had slowly but surely been tearing him apart, for the last seventeen years. The only reason he'd stayed alive and fighting since Lily's death was to protect her ungrateful son. And now it was all over, Harry Potter had lived, Voldemort had died, and the two most important people in Snape's life were gone. With the colossal struggle of deceiving Voldemort finally over, he felt as though he no longer had a purpose, leaving him feeling simultaneously liberated and empty. The only things left to do were to give Harry the truth about his parents, and the truth about Snape's long, sad and depressing life. He'd also help Draco with his trial. Snape was incredibly surprised three weeks ago when he'd escaped with the Granger girl. Although, it did make sense, the know-it-all Gryffindor girl always had the solution to any problem. As Bellatrix had screeched countless times, it was the house elf Dobby.

Perhaps he wouldn't have to bother helping Draco with his trial, since the Granger girl had apparently beaten him to it. That was a very curious thing. Snape found himself pondering on the unusual turn of events between the two students. First they escape together, spend three weeks together doing god knows what, although Snape guessed it involved the horcruxes, and Granger had apparently managed to perform his counter-curse to save Draco's life the night he arrived. Now she was helping him with his trial. They appeared to be friends. Funny, how a muggle-born and a pureblood, a Gryffindor and a Slytherin, a pair of opposites, could connect in such a way. Lily had been a muggle-born and a Gryffindor, therefore all of this reminded him painfully of his childhood, of Lily when they were young friends. Of Lily before he'd ruined his chances and became a Death Eater.

It seemed like Draco had been blessed with a second chance. A second chance that I never got, Snape bitterly realised. Draco had better not put it to waste.

After much contemplation, Snape decided on his plan for the future. Give Harry the memories of Lily, to give him the truth about both of his parents and what they were like. Give Draco guidance on his trial. Then he'd return to Hogwarts, to live out the rest of his days as a teacher, as a Slytherin. After the events of the war, and the fall of Voldemort, the Slytherin students would definitely need someone to look out for them. The other Houses at Hogwarts wouldn't be so forgiving.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	21. Chapter 21

Shortly after Snape had revealed his memories to the Wizengamot, Draco and Hermione had gone to bed. It only took that day for them to have covered everything that could come up in his trial. It had quickly become evident that Draco would be fine, given that he hadn't committed any severe crimes and that he had Kingsley's support as the Minister for Magic. Hermione went over other defences that Draco had. He was still young, and his mother was promised to be cleared of all charges due to her innocence. There were multiple eye witnesses who saw Draco refuse to kill Hermione, proving that he wasn't on Voldemort's side and that he was good by nature. Hermione was confident that he wouldn't end up in Azkaban, at least. Despite all of this however, the two of them still ended up alone in Draco's room surrounded by books again the next morning.

"What do you think of last night? With Snape?" asked Hermione curiously as she sat opposite him on the bed. Books and plates of breakfast lay scattered between them, and the picturesque bedroom window was letting fresh morning air inside. To Draco, everything about that morning made him feel relaxed and oddly free. To be able to freely talk to someone who he considered a friend, without any outside opinions, prejudices, or barriers getting between them. Although they hadn't admitted it to each other, there was a wordless, mutual acknowledgement that they had become friends.

"To be honest, I was surprised. All along I thought that the joke was on Dumbledore, the Death Eaters used to call him the old fool. But..." Draco trailed off, scratching his chin.

"Snape had been with Dumbledore from the very beginning. The joke was on Voldemort," finished Hermione in wonder. The Slytherin in front of her flinched at the Dark Lord's name slightly, and immediately regretted it. He felt like a weakling. He probably looked like a weakling too, and she noticed it.

"He's not around anymore, Malfoy. There's no more taboo. You can say his name, fear of the name only-" Hermione began to say.

"Only increases fear of the thing itself, I know Granger," finished Draco firmly. He'd heard her say this before, it sounded like something Dumbledore would make up. Hermione was watching him curiously, as if she was sizing him up. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay then, you can either: A - continue reading 'The Wizengamot - A Guide for Beginner's'; or you can: B - say Voldemort's name," Hermione proposed playfully.

"Voldemort," drawled Draco in an effortless, almost bored way. He appeared completely at ease with it. Hermione was shocked, initially expecting him to refuse, and she just shook her head.

"What?" he asked in mock surprise.

"Your acting skills are unbelievable. I'm confused," she admitted as she leaned back on one of the pillows.

"I only flinched because you took me by surprise earlier. I flinched because of the... bad memories that the name brings back," Draco explained, but he stiffened slightly as he announced that particular truth. Hermione could see right through him at that moment, and she leaned forwards slowly. The subject of Voldemort obviously brought back horrific and nightmarish memories, possibly the worst memories of Draco's life, yet he could still force himself to speak about it effortlessly. He was speaking and acting indifferent, but in reality she could see him stiffen, see his eyes go cold as he visualised his greatest fears and worst memories. In a strange, personal way, it was very brave.

"See something you like?" asked Draco sarcastically, looking rather amused. Hermione blushed as she realised she'd been staring at him.

"Sorry it's just... interesting," said Hermione with a nervous smile as she looked down at the book in her lap.

"Might be interesting on the outside, but on the inside it certainly isn't," Draco muttered bitterly, as he looked outside the window. To him, his mind was often filled with exactly what Hermione described. Horrific and nightmarish memories of death, torture, dark magic, psychopathic murderers, being branded with the Dark Mark, watching his parents suffer, and being forced to do things against his will. It was perhaps the main reason he'd been so angry when she touched his Dark Mark, because it vividly brought everything back.

"No, the inside is intriguing and mysterious," corrected Hermione, glancing up at him slyly.

"Not mine," replied Draco after a pause. They were making eye contact, and they both had an idea of where the conversation was leading. Draco knew that she would want to know more about his sixth year; more about how and why he tried but couldn't kill Dumbledore; what he thought about his parents and Snape; what it felt like to have the Dark Mark permanently imprinted into his left forearm. Perhaps she'd want to know why he couldn't kill her. They both wanted to talk about Hogwarts, why Hermione wanted to go and why Draco didn't want to. What they were going to do after his trial, and after he went back to Malfoy Manor. Would they still be friends? Would they owl each other? Would they see each other again, at Hogwarts or years later? Their favourite book; favourite colour; favourite game; sport; music; pet. What they wanted to be when they grow up, what they wanted to accomplish, their past. There was so much that they didn't know about each other. They were still so vastly different. Yet none of that mattered as he observed her long wavy brown hair flickering in the breeze from the open window. Her soft lips were curved into a subtle smile. She looked so beautiful, so dreamy, that it was just impossible to look away. He was entranced as he fell into her deep, warm brown eyes...

Then the door opened.

"Hermione! Oh my god, it's been AGES! I've got so much to-!" began Ginny Weasley as she saw Hermione, but she stopped suddenly at the sight of Draco Malfoy sitting at the far end of the bed against the wall.

"Tell me? Hey Ginny," finished Hermione after a few moments. It was very difficult to tear her eyes away from Draco's and look at her best girlfriend, but she tried to act casual about the whole situation. It wasn't easy though, because her mind was still dwelling uncontrollably on the guy in front of her.

"So it's true? Harry told me that he was here," Ginny said abruptly, her cold and rude tone of voice quite clear.

"Are you two going to have your little reunion outside, or shall I leave?" snapped Draco with equal rudeness. His glare was like ice as he shot daggers at Ginny. Hermione was completely taken aback by his immediate change of expression, mood and personality.

"You shouldn't even be here, how dare you! This happens to be Percy, my big brothers old room!" began Ginny angrily, her eyes ablaze with dislike. Draco didn't even bother to argue with the youngest Weasley, she had a temper to match her idiotic older brother. It was a complete waste of his time, so he got up and headed for the door without another word.

"Wait Malfoy! I'll... be out in a minute," said Hermione sympathetically. She hated it when everyone acted so hostile towards Draco, and he was constantly having to avoid conflicts. Especially when they were in such a close conversation, he was finally opening up more, it was actually beginning to get intimate. Why did Ginny have to arrive at that exact moment? Hermione snapped out of her thoughts as Draco nodded curtly before leaving and closing the door behind himself.

"You'll be out in a minute?" mimicked Ginny with a raised eyebrow, now directing her attitude towards Hermione. She saw the books and breakfast plates, and the comfortable way the two of them had been sitting on the bed together. The open window, and the bright, sunlit, colourful atmosphere of the room. It all looked a bit too pleasant to her.

"Ginny, I know you still think he's an arrogant git..." began Hermione with a heavy sigh.

"'Still think'? So what, you're suggesting that he's changed? Didn't you hear the way he spoke to me?" said Ginny incredulously as she jumped onto the bed and got comfortable. Great, thought Hermione, the world of gossip has returned.

"He hasn't really changed, he's just... I guess I understand him a bit more. He's still the same as he used to be, but in a good way. Don't look at me like that Ginny! Trust me, if you were stuck with him for more than three weeks straight, you'd get what I mean. It's complicated," finished Hermione lamely. She decided that that was all she would be admitting for now.

"Oh gosh yes, I heard that you got captured by snatchers? By yourself? And you escaped? You'll have to tell me everything! But no matter what that ferret is like, I probably won't like him. But tell me about him too!" insisted Ginny eagerly. Hermione rolled her eyes, without even realising how similar it was to the way Draco did it.

"Okay I'll tell you everything, but lets go down to your room first. And I need to help Malfoy with his trial sometime today too," said Hermione firmly as she got up. She decided it would be nice to go downstairs into the pink room and let Draco back into his room, so he wouldn't be standing in the hallway for a few hours.

"He has a trial? At the Ministry? Like, with the other Death Eaters? Wow, he really is bad," continued Ginny, bombarding her with question after question. They passed Draco back on the first floor, where he was standing passively at the bottom of the stairs and trying to blend in with the crowd. When Hermione walked past, she smiled in apology and indicated that he could go upstairs. In silent understanding, he nodded and headed back to the upstairs room, gratefully avoiding conversation with any Ministry workers.

It was going to be a long couple of hours of talking with Ginny, but Hermione was excited despite herself. At last she'd have someone to talk to who wasn't Harry, Ron or Draco, the only three people she'd been socialising with for weeks and months now. But she was still thinking of Draco, and planned on using his 'trial' as an excuse to talk to him more. It was an excuse because they'd already covered everything on Magical Law within a few hours. He would be fine in his trial, and they both knew it. But they also both knew that the only way they'd be able to talk to each other, was with a very important excuse. Hermione smiled slightly as she realised that she was scheming and planning ahead. Planning to lie, pretend and act like she was busy working on his trial. When secretly, all she was really interested in was him. It felt strangely... Slytherin.

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Since Voldemort had finally been defeated, there had been enormous progress at The Burrow and the Ministry. When Hermione had finally pried herself away from Ginny hours later, she quickly took the latest Daily Prophet and ran upstairs with it. She found Draco lying on his bed reading one of her Magical Law books, but he put it down as soon as she walked in.

"You won't believe how much has happened in the past two days, look how thick the Daily Prophet is," said Hermione in excitement as she handed the hefty newspaper to Draco, who began reading immediately. The newspaper was indeed much larger than it usually was, and Hermione moved beside him on the bed to read it at the same time. It showed probably the best news she'd ever seen in her life. Firstly, there was a large feature article on the end of the war, which filled the first few pages of the newspaper. It was full of pictures, details and interviews with various people, and the point was clear: Voldemort was dead and the war was finally over. The next few pages were all on Kingsley becoming the new Minister for Magic, with pictures and quotes from him. The next pages disgruntled Draco. There were Death Eaters on the run. The list of Death Eaters went on for a while, and it was clear that the Ministry still had a lot of work to do. The two names that struck Draco however, were Amycus and Alecto Carrow. They had escaped Hogwarts and lived to tell the tale. That certainly wasn't good news. The page after that showed Death Eaters, snatchers and other criminals who'd been caught and who'd faced trial and their sentences. Draco quickened his pace, reading the names rapidly. He saw Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, Yaxley, Travers, Selwyn, Rookwood, Rowle, Nott's father, Crabbe and Goyle's fathers, Mulciber, Macnair, Greyback, Scabior, Dolohov, Pettigrew, Avery... the list went on, and on, and on. He saw some names that even he hadn't heard before, and he was a Death Eater himself. Obviously Voldemort had a lot more recruits than he let on, though. At last his eyes fell on the name he'd been searching for.

'Lucius Malfoy, Death Eater for twenty-four years, use of the Cruciatus Curse and torture on muggle-born family on one account, use of the Imperius Curse on two accounts (Sturgis Podmore and Broderick Bode), participated in Quidditch World Cup attack, led the attack on the Department of Mysteries, previously escaped Azkaban, multiple accounts of political bribery and manipulation. Sentenced to one year in Azkaban, followed by ten years of magically enforced probation.'

One year. Only one year in Azkaban. Draco knew that he should be grateful for it, he should even go and thank Kingsley right now for helping his father. Without the new Minister for Magic's influence his father would have probably been in Azkaban for the rest of his life with the rest of the Death Eaters, even though he hadn't killed anyone.

"Magically enforced probation?" asked Draco uncertainly, forcing his voice to be calm. He could feel Hermione's sympathetic eyes piercing into him, but he refused to look at her.

"It just means that he will be under magical supervision. The Ministry will be watching his every move, and if he commits any crimes during the probation he'll be sent back to Azkaban for the remainder of his probational time," explained Hermione, watching his reaction, "Ten years is a long time, but at least he'll be free and the probation sentence will protect him from other Death Eater influences."

There was silence after that, as Draco just stared at the page expressionlessly, his grey eyes dull and empty. He continued down the list of names, and found the names of people who had faced trial and were only sentenced minor punishments. It also had the names of people who still had to face trial in the next few days. He felt his heart leap when he saw his mothers name.

'Narcissa Malfoy, wife and mother of two Death Eaters (Lucius and Draco Malfoy), sister and sister-in-law of two Death Eaters (Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange), aunt of Order of the Phoenix member (Nymphadora Tonks). Although heavily related with Death Eaters, she is not one herself, has taken no part in any Death Eater activities, has shown no loyalty or enthusiasm towards the Dark Arts, and has suffered severely for the past two years. Sentenced to one year of magically enforced probation.'

He felt his eyes beginning to sting as he read the description, and saw his own name directly below his mothers.

'Draco Malfoy, Death Eater for one year (youngest Death Eater recorded, obtained the Dark Mark at sixteen), use of the Cruciatus Curse and torture on two accounts (Thorfinn Rowle and Harry Potter), cruel treatment of multiple prisoners at Malfoy Manor (John Ollivander, Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Griphook and Hermione Granger), ordered and failed to assassinate Albus Dumbledore (rumoured), ordered and failed to murder Hermione Granger (rumoured). Sentenced to face trial on the 22nd of June, rumoured to a minimum of five years of magically enforced probation. (For more information on the Malfoy family, turn to page 17)'

The entirety of the situation seemed to crush him with depression. He wouldn't see his father again for another year, unless he got to visit at Azkaban. And after that year, his father would probably never be the same again. Azkaban seemed to affect him far worse than anyone else Draco had met, no doubt because he had already ran out of happy memories. His father had been a mess ever since he got out of Azkaban the first time, and it became obvious while Voldemort was staying at Malfoy Manor. Lucius Malfoy was drained, worn and defeated, both physically and mentally. Azkaban would simply take away the last spark of happiness and decency left in the once proud man that he used to be. It was also known worldwide that he had attempted to assassinate Dumbledore, that he'd used Crucio on both Rowle and Potter, and even that he'd failed to kill Hermione? And cruel treatment to prisoners? Half of the details were completely left out. He felt cheated and alienated.

"Malfoy? Are you okay?" asked Hermione, watching him in concern. He didn't know what his expression looked like, but it was probably sad. Maybe depressed. Maybe angry. Or perhaps he was crying. He couldn't tell because he'd lost control of his emotions around her, an occurrence which was happening more frequently as time went on.

"I'm fine. This is just... a lot to process," said Draco quietly, staring at the list of names.

"Don't worry about it. They've exaggerated half of the details anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Rita Skeeter helped write this. You didn't even try to kill me, you dropped your wand. And you didn't torture Harry either, he was the one who caused fatal harm to you. You weren't cruel to the prisoners: me, Dean and Luna will defend you in court," Hermione went on relentlessly, but he interrupted her.

"They exaggerated half, but got the other half right. I've tortured people before. I did try to kill Dumbledore, you've got no idea how hard I tried, Granger. I had the Dark Mark our entire sixth year..." said Draco, feeling ashamed and embarrassed all over again. He got up from the bed and walked over to the desk, leaning against it with all his weight as he closed his eyes. He heard Hermione gingerly get up from the bed as well, and move over to him.

"You mean, Thorfinn Rowle was actually...?" she asked quietly.

"A Death Eater. I was ordered to torture him for his punishment," he answered, opening his eyes to look at her.

"Voldemort ordered you, instead of doing it himself? That monster!" Hermione hissed angrily.

"Whether I was ordered or not, I still did it Granger. I've used the Cruciatus and Imperius curse, two Unforgivables, in the past."

"You were forced to do these things," Hermione defended.

"But I still did them! It's official, written on paper for the entire world to see! Whether I like it or not, I'm an attempted murderer and I always will be now!" Draco snapped, his temper flaring.

"You haven't killed anyone! If Voldemort had my parents and threatened to kill them in front of me, I would do anything, even terrible things, to keep them safe. Everyone are capable of evil things if they're forced to," argued Hermione as she moved closer to him.

"You don't understand Granger! You have no idea what this feels like!" shouted Draco as he pushed off the desk and pointed at the newspaper on the bed.

"Then help me understand!" said Hermione exasperatedly, looking up at him as they stood surprisingly close. There was a pause after what she'd said, as Draco considered continuing the conversation. It was already getting out of hand, and he didn't want to reveal anything else about his feelings and his past. Thinking about it personally was hard enough, telling someone else was even worse. But Hermione was the only person willing to give him a chance, and it was becoming easier to be honest with her. After keeping the emotions bottled up since his sixth year with no one to confide in, talking to someone he could trust helped immensely. Before he could say anything further, they heard an awkward 'ahem' from the doorway. They'd raised their voices and been so focused on each other, they hadn't heard or seen the person open the door. There stood Harry, watching them uncomfortably. They sprung apart, once again realising how close they'd been standing.

"Gosh Harry, couldn't you have knocked?" asked Hermione in embarrassment, blushing as she glanced at Draco, who was even more ashamed and furious at everything.

"I did knock, you mustn't have heard. Can I speak to you for a moment, though?" Harry asked, indicating for her to follow him into the hallway. Hermione nodded, taking one last glance at Draco before leaving the room and closing the door behind herself. They walked along the hallway until they were just out of earshot, before Harry turned to look at her. He once again had that awkward, uncomfortable expression.

"I heard everything," he began shortly, running a hand through his messy black hair. He seemed to be struggling to say something more important.

"And?" Hermione inquired curiously.

"And he isn't the only one who's feeling bad at the moment. You still haven't forgiven me for using Snape's curse. If you hadn't healed Malfoy he could've died, and I would never have been able to forgive myself for that. If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have found all the horcruxes either. I owe you more than you can imagine, Hermione," said Harry sincerely. He continued quickly.

"And I just wanted to say thanks. It's also thanks to Malfoy that you're here too, he didn't kill you and he helped you escape in the first place. Even if it was to save his own neck, he still did it. And I owe him an apology for cursing him too, and after hearing what you two were arguing about... I have something to tell you. In our fifth year, Sirius said to me, 'The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are.' Regulus Black was a Death Eater and he sacrificed himself trying to destroy the locket, remember? And Snape had been on Dumbledore's side all along, even after Dumbledore was gone. Even though Malfoy and his parents are still massive gits, and I'll always hate them, they aren't evil people. I just want you to know that even though Ron's getting a little carried away, I'm not going to get in anymore fights. Just remember what Sirius said, mention it to Malfoy. Consider that my apology."

After he'd said all of this, he let out a breath of relief. Hermione hugged him and smiled. This was the Harry she'd always remembered, and that was definitely worth more than her forgiveness.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	22. Chapter 22

"Ron come on, let it drop. Once the ferret's done his trial he'll be gone," said Harry tiredly, after hearing another one of Ron's angry rants.

"He better be gone. It's on the 22nd right? Just two more days," Ron muttered as he paced up and down the kitchen. They were having lunch, and they'd been talking about Hermione quite a lot for the past few days. The end of the war should have been a bright, happy and positive time, perhaps the best time of their lives. They should be celebrating, spending every day with their best friends. But with Malfoy in the mix, things were just complicated and tense for the Gryffindor's.

"And besides, there's no point in fighting with Hermione over Malfoy. He's not worth it," continued Harry casually. Despite the fact that he'd apologized to Hermione just before, he didn't like Malfoy any more than the next Gryffindor. He only apologized for Hermione's sake, and he couldn't wait for things to go back to normal again too.

"But why does she like him-?" growled Ron in frustration.

"She doesn't like him, she just wants to help him," insisted Harry firmly.

"How do you know that?" asked Ron, looking at him hopelessly.

"I told you before, I went up to apologize to her. They were having a massive argument," explained Harry, and this seemed to lighten Ron's mood a little.

"Really? About what?" he asked quickly.

"I didn't hear what they were saying, but they were shouting at each other," Harry said, knowing that this was a lie. If anything, their fight had probably brought them closer together than before. Harry just hoped that for all their sakes, Hermione stayed with her true friends. It was almost like Viktor Krum all over again, and Ron really hated Krum after the Yule Ball in their fourth year. Back then there was heaps of fighting between Ron and Hermione, and it seemed like they would never be friends again. Harry wished that this didn't happen a second time. Just like in all the other years of Hogwarts, he'd often been stuck in the middle of the other two's arguments and fights - it was starting to happen again. Only this time he was more on the side of Ron, because he hated Malfoy to the very core. But he didn't want to choose sides, because he wanted to stay friends with Hermione. The whole situation frustrated him. He would just have to do his best to keep their friendship alive, no matter what, for as long as possible.

\----------

"As you know Malfoy, your trial is in two days. I was originally going to have Ollivander be your witness and defence for the whole 'Malfoy Manor prisoners' scandal in the Prophet, but since he has... passed away, I was thinking that Hermione should take his place. Hermione was also there during your entire sixth year, so it makes sense for her to be a vital witness. Myself and Snape have also volunteered to be your defence on the day as well - you'll be fine, I'm sure. After your trial you will be able to see both of your parents, and return home," Kingsley informed Draco and Hermione in the living room, with a rather cheerful smile. It should have been a cheerful moment, the fact that Draco and his mother would be free after everything that had happened in the war. But in reality, his father being in Azkaban simply ruined anything positive about the situation. Draco just nodded to confirm it, and shortly afterwards they had returned to their room on the third floor.

"Are you nervous?" asked Hermione curiously, as soon as they were alone again. Her question was mostly about his trial, and about his parents. He was becoming more and more anxious as he got closer to being able to see them again, after nearly four weeks of being separated and in danger.

"No," Draco lied casually, although his eyes flickered to the Daily Prophet on the desk on the other side of the room anxiously. Hermione smiled a bit, obviously noticing his expression and knowing that he was lying. It was becoming harder for him to hide his expression and lie - perhaps he was spending too much time with Gryffindor's. Either way, he hated it when she read him like an open book.

"Well, your trial will be fine, especially with me as a witness, Kinglsey said it himself," said Hermione confidently. Draco smiled slightly at that - he'd never admit it, but he was very grateful that she was going to be there during the trial. He also knew that after the trial, he'd be going home with his mother and it'd be nearly impossible to see Hermione again, apart from Hogwarts. In reality, he really only had two more days of seeing her and talking to her, before he'd be alone and stuck back at Malfoy Manor again. And at Hogwarts they would be separated anyway. He couldn't tell if this was a good or bad thing... it was good, because his parents would never approve of a friendship with a mudblood, so perhaps it was best if they didn't see each other again. But it was bad, because he could no longer deny the fact that he liked her. Just thinking about the trial made him ache slightly, as he realized how much he would miss her afterwards. One part of him wanted time to go faster so that he could see his parents again and live an almost-normal life, but another part of him wanted time to stop completely so he could just stay where he was, with Her-

"Malfoy, are you okay?" asked Hermione curiously.

"I'm fine - I'm just thinking about the trial," Draco muttered quickly, rubbing his eyes.

"And... what will happen after it?" Hermione continued, as she was thinking the same things. He just nodded in reply.

"Me too. But don't worry about it - you can't know what's going to happen until after the trial anyway," Hermione shrugged.

"I suppose. I still can't help but think about how depressing life is going to become, though," said Draco gloomily. There was a long pause as Hermione watched him sympathetically, but before she could say anything there was a brief nock at the door. They both looked over at it curiously, wondering who would come upstairs to see them. A second later and Hermione had gracefully walked over and opened it, holding in a gasp when she saw who it was.

"Snape?" said the two students in equal surprise.

"It isn't polite to stare, miss Granger-" Snape began sarcastically.

"S-sorry, I'm just surprised," said Hermione, as she took a step back and let her old Potions Master into the room.

"I'm also surprised to find you in Draco's room. How... intriguing," Snape said slowly, with a raise of his eyebrow.

"I-"

"She's just helping me with my trial, Kingsley made her a witness," replied Draco casually.

"So I heard. Have you covered everything? You're prepared for it?" asked Snape, getting nods from both of them. Once that was confirmed he seemed rather satisfied and didn't have much else to say. Draco felt as though he was back in his sixth year, because Snape had constantly asked him how he was going to kill Dumbledore. He'd been trying to help back then, and he was still trying to help even now. He wondered whether his mother had asked Snape to do this, or perhaps the Head of Slytherin house really did care about his students. Either way, Draco was glad for the extra help and support.

"Sir, will you be returning to Hogwarts?" asked Hermione curiously, unable to contain the question that she was undoubtedly going to ask every teacher. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I will. And I expect you both in my Advanced Potions class - this generation of students is seriously lacking competence," Snape drawled.

"You expect me? Screw Potions, its useless. I'm not going, I've already said this," Draco said stubbornly. Ever since Professor McGonagall had suggested that he would be going to Hogwarts whether he liked it or not, he had been dreading it. Like he'd already said to Hermione - all of the students would think he was a murderer and a Death Eater. He would be hated from all angles, perhaps even by the Slytherin's too if they found out that he'd befriended a mudblood Gryffindor. It was going to be a tough, difficult year to get through. The only bonus to it would be getting away from Malfoy Manor and all the bad memories for as long as possible. And perhaps the fact that Hermione would be there. But she was in Gryffindor, so he'd never get to be her friend inside the castle. He would be very much alone there, and he'd do anything to avoid going.

"Miss Granger, could you give us a moment?" said Snape, as he glared at Draco.

"Of course," said Hermione quietly as she headed for the door and left. Once they were alone, the two Slytherin's stared at each other unhappily.

"Why are you acting like a child? Hogwarts is the best place for you to be-" Snape snapped, effectively breaking the silence.

"No, it's the last place for me to be. Forget it, you wouldn't even understand," muttered Draco frustratedly from the bed.

"I understand more than you might think. I get it, no one will like you, you'll be bullied, you won't be 'popular' anymore. That's life, you need to deal with it-" said Snape harshly.

"There's more to it than that! School is a waste of bloody time, no-one will give a fuck about my marks in Charms class, I'll never get anywhere because of my reputation!" Draco ranted angrily.

"You'll never get anywhere without good marks, period. You think you're the only one who's been through this? How do you think me and your father survived after the first wizarding war?" Snape challenged him.

"You lied, that's how. And then you went running back to the Dark Lord the moment he came back. I can't lie, and I've got no where to run, so don't act like you understand-"

"Exactly, you have no where to run. The Ministry has every right, and every reason to send you to Hogwarts. Stop pitying yourself and accept it," Snape said unwaveringly.

"Why the hell did you even come here?" demanded Draco furiously, having had quite enough of being insulted by his old mentor.

"I came here because your mother is hysterical, your father won't be around, and you need my help-"

"I don't need anyone's help-"

"Well the rest of the Slytherin's will need help, you know what Hogwarts is like. You'll be the oldest Slytherin student, the rest of them will look up to you. Believe it or not, but I actually care about my house Draco, that's why I always favourited it-"

"You can care all you like, I don't give a damn-" Draco spat openly, as he crossed his arms.

"You'd better start caring, because you will be on the train to Hogwarts in two months time. The Ministry has probably already decided your sentence. You're right, it won't be an easy year and you will probably dread every moment of it. Therefore you'll need my help, and you'll need your houses help. My point is, you have to accept this and start preparing for it now. Otherwise you're in for a horrible year, and I know how that feels," finished Snape in a brutally honest tone of voice. While he was saying all of this, he remembered his own experiences at Hogwarts with James Potter and the other Gryffindor's. Snape had had his own fair share of bullying, fights and absolutely loathing school. Back when he was Draco's age, there was plenty of inter-house feuds, hostility and hatred. He feared that it would be even worse - far worse - in the coming year. With the war just ended, Voldemort being dead and most - if not all - of the locked up Death Eaters being from Slytherin origin, the Slytherin house was going to have a very bad name. Stereotypes and discrimination would be everywhere, insults would turn into fights in the corridors, and fights would turn into hate. It was inevitable, and even Snape feared how it would unfold. If he was going to remain a teacher for the rest of his life, he wasn't going to spend it stopping duels in the hallways and wasting his time giving out detentions. Draco still hadn't replied to him, and remained with his arms crossed, silently fuming over his unfortunate fate.

"Your... relationship with miss Granger is rather interesting, I must say-" began Snape casually.

"There's nothing going on between us," said Draco quickly, without thinking. There was a long silence as Snape just stared at him with an amused smirk. He'd been working with Voldemort for over seventeen years, and he'd known Draco since he was only a child. He could spot a lie without even trying, and it was so blatantly obvious that Draco was lying. It reminded him of himself when he was that age, and when he'd loved Lily. He constantly lied to his Slytherin friends at Hogwarts, saying that she was only a mudblood - but deep down she was always more than that. Snape wondered what he should say to Draco now, since the young Slytherin was in such a familiar situation. The silence lengthened.

"What on earth are you staring at? She's just a mudblood-" Draco continued, hoping against hope that the professor didn't know what was going on.

"You're an excellent liar, Draco, but you aren't good enough to fool me. If you want my advice, keep the blood-related insults to a minimum when you get to Hogwarts - you'll need friends like her more than you think," Snape informed him casually.

"What do you know about all of this?" asked Draco curiously.

"Everything you're going through, I've already gone through it. I made horrible mistakes Draco, mistakes that can ruin lives. Narcissa has asked me to look out for you, and that's exactly what I'm doing-"

"You can't tell her-"

"Tell her what?" asked Snape indifferently.

"Whatever you know, you can't tell my mother," Draco insisted.

"I'm not telling your mother anything. I'm just giving you guidance, like I did in your sixth year. And unlike your sixth year, I suggest you listen to my advice this time," said Snape urgently. They both vividly remembered Draco's sixth year, when he had the mission to kill Dumbledore. For the whole year he'd been trying to do it alone, and he'd avoided Snape the entire time. This was for two reasons - he thought that Snape was trying to steal his glory, and if Draco wasn't the one to do it, he and his parents would be punished. That was correct too, because he and his parents were punished after he failed to kill Dumbledore. But ever since, he'd still been overwhelmingly grateful towards Snape for taking his place. There was a long pause as they both remembered all of this. Draco sighed and nodded, to show that he would accept and listen to Snape's advice from then on.

"Good. I'd better be going, but before I leave - your trial, just relax and let Kingsley and I do all of the talking. If they ask you any questions, just be honest-"

"I know, I know, Granger has already told me all of this," assured Draco, wincing slightly when he realized that he was talking about her as if she was his friend. He'd totally forgotten the fact that he would be staked alive by any other Slytherin if they found out that she was even an acquaintance of his. He knew for a fact that his parents would probably disown him, and his friends would kick him out of the Common Room. He'd been alone with Hermione and the Order for not even that long, but already he'd just grown used to her. He'd known about the social rules and pureblood traditions all along, but only now did he realize that he'd have to change the way he spoke and acted about her in front of fellow Slytherin's. At the same time, he was still wishing for time to stop because these last few days at The Burrow were probably going to be his best. After the trial, it would all go downhill. He'd be stuck at Malfoy Manor, without Hermione, dreading the return to Hogwarts for nearly two months. He suddenly found himself wanting to make the most of these last few days.

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Draco spent all of that night and the next morning thinking about the same problems. Well, pretty much just thinking about Hermione and what he was going to do with this messed up life. It was the day before his trial, so he wanted to talk to her about a number of things. Even though neither of them had admitted it, he hoped that they could open up and be proper friends. He wanted to know how much she liked him, because the truth was - he liked her, a lot. She was intelligent, beautiful, unique; and she'd helped, forgiven and accepted him over the past four weeks. Out of everyone else in the Order, she was the only friend he had. He wanted to talk about Hogwarts. He wanted to ask if they could stay in touch over the holidays, and continue being friends... but deep down, he knew that it wouldn't be possible. Not with his parents, not with his reputation, the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses, their friends. It just wouldn't work out, and it would probably cause more harm than good. But this was the problem - this was what he wanted to talk to her about, before it was too late. He felt like she was something incredibly important that he couldn't lose, and this was his last day to sort things out. At the same time, he also wanted to make her promise not to tell anyone at Hogwarts that they'd spent four weeks together, and that he'd helped them stop Voldemort. If the entire school found out about that, he wasn't exactly sure how his fellow Slytherin's would react, but it would only make things harder. And he also had to make sure that his mother didn't find out about their friendship. Blood status was so vitally important to both Narcissa and Lucius, he already had an idea of what the consequences would be if they found out that he was friends with a mudblood. He'd heard many pureblood parents say things along the lines of, 'I'd rather disown my son then have a mudblood in the family,' and he feared that it was no different for him. While Narcissa might not be so harsh, he knew that Lucius would definitely threaten to disown him if he was friends with a pretty mudblood girl. Add Azkaban, the war, lack of money and stress to the situation, and yes - finding out that their son liked a mudblood would definitely aggravate his parents.

Despite all of this, he found himself liking Hermione Granger more than anything. Perhaps it had something to do with wanting things we can't have...

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	23. Chapter 23

Draco woke up nice and early the next morning, realizing that it was the last day before his trial. He was still thinking about the night before and what he wanted to talk with Hermione about, and he was now determined to get it over with. After checking the time and seeing that it was just past six, he decided to go down and get something to drink now before the rest of the Order woke up. He'd began waking up before everyone else for the past week, because early in the morning was the only time he could avoid Ministry and Order members. It was exceptionally cold so he was making his way down the stairs quickly, when he bumped straight into someone - nearly knocking them down the stairs backwards.

"Watch where you're walking-" Draco snarled as he held the persons arm to stop them from falling just in time.

"Ouch, I nearly fell-!" came a very familiar girls voice.

"Herm- um, Granger?" Draco stuttered slightly, after he realized who it was.

"Malfoy!" said Hermione with equal surprise, after she had overcome the initial shock of nearly falling backwards down a flight of stairs. There was a short pause as they stared at each other.

"You know, you can say my name," she continued shyly.

"I can?" asked Draco in bewilderment.

"Why not? It's only a name, we are frien- well," Hermione stopped there and blushed, unsure of what to say next. To be honest, she wasn't exactly sure what they were either, and she'd been wondering exactly the same things as he was for the past couple of days. Draco quickly let go of her arm, since she wasn't going to fall anytime soon.

"I've um, been meaning to talk to you about that," explained Draco, as he looked at her closer and realized that she'd probably only just woken up. Her hair was long and messy, and she was wearing a tank top and baggy pants. He couldn't help but notice that no matter how casual she appeared, and even first thing in the morning - she still managed to look unbelievably attractive.

"I was going in for a shower, it's on the second floor," said Hermione, smiling slightly as she indicated just past him to where the bathroom was.

"Oh, sorry-"

"It's fine, I was planning to talk to you too. Your trial is tomorrow, and after that we probably won't see each other for a while..." she trailed off slightly, hoping that he would understand what she meant. Draco nodded in agreement, feeling suddenly nervous about the whole thing. His previous determination to talk to her about staying friends seemed to vanish now that he was standing right in front of her. How could he ask her, if he was in Slytherin? If they were returning to Hogwarts in only two months, how could they remain friends? It seemed ridiculously far-fetched, and he wondered whether he should just say goodbye now and forget about it. He felt foolish for even considering it, because he knew from the very start that his parents - and every Hogwarts student, for that matter - would turn on them and reject them for being friends. He didn't know what to say, and he noticed that Hermione was becoming very good at seeing his hesitation and attempts to lie.

"Malfoy, I know that look. No one's around, no one's listening. Please, just be honest with me," Hermione continued gently as she looked him in the eye. At that, Draco sighed heavily and decided that she was right.

"Okay. I like you," he admitted steadily, "and, I want us to be friends, but it's just..."

"It's just what? I like you too, and we've actually gotten to know each other over the past few weeks. We are friends, there's nothing wrong with that-" said Hermione with ease.

"But there is something wrong with it! How can we stay friends, when Hogwarts is just two months away? What about everyone else-" said Draco, as he began to say all of the things that he'd been worrying about since the night before.

"They have nothing to do with us. If we're friends that's our choice Malfoy, no-one elses," said Hermione with a shrug.

"And what about at Hogwarts, when all of Gryffindor and Slytherin hate us for it?" Draco argued.

"That's their problem, and besides, what can they do? Bully me for being friends with you? I'm already used to insults in the corridors anyway, thanks to - well - you," Hermione admitted awkwardly.

"Sorry," groaned Draco, once again feeling horrible for all the things that he'd done to her. And yet there they were, openly discussing friendship together early in the morning. Hermione smiled briefly at his apology.

"I forgive you. And why should anybody else care if we like each other? It's harmless-"

"It won't be harmless, it'll cause all sorts of problems. Not only with Hogwarts, the Order, Potter and Weasley - but my parents and friends as well. Your parents won't care if you like me, but mine are a different story altogether," muttered Draco as he leaned against the wall.

"Actually, mine will. They might be muggles, but they know everything about Hogwarts. And, I kind of told them about you bullying me during our second year..." said Hermione as she blushed in embarassment.

"Great, that makes it even worse," sighed Draco, rolling his eyes.

"Why does it matter though? You're an adult wizard, what could your parents possibly do-?" asked Hermione in exasperation.

"That's the point Granger, I'm an adult wizard. That means I can be disowned and kicked out of the house, and believe it or not, my father will threaten to do that if he finds out I'm friends with a muggle-born girl," Draco explained.

"That's so cruel!" gasped Hermione.

"Well, that's the everyday pureblood family for you," said Draco sarctastically.

"What if-"

"Hermione, what are you doing?" hissed a voice from the bottom of the stairs. They both jumped in shock and looked down the stairs to see Ginny making her way up to them.

"You said you'd be quick, I'm still waiting to go in - what are you doing here?" demanded Ginny when she saw Draco.

"We're just talking, you can have the first shower if you want," Hermione quickly offered.

"I think I'll just wait until you two are finished-"

"Ginny please, this is important," said Hermione urgently. There was a long pause as the red-headed girl glared at them both, before she headed for the bathroom grumpily. They waited until she was well out of earshot before turning to each other, and silently thinking of a solution to the problem. There really wasn't much that they could do, apart from either not be friends, or be friends but keep it secret. Or if Draco confronted his parents about it and they were willing to face their families, friends and all of Hogwarts combined efforts to prevent their friendship, perhaps they could make it public. But they weren't close enough to simply risk everything for each other - they were just friends, and there was no need to make a huge deal out of it. After a few moments, and when they heard the shower turn on, they continued the conversation.

"What if we owl each other over the holidays, to start with. I won't tell anyone, it'll just be between us. But you have to promise me that you'll talk to your parents about it - they love you, they always spoiled you at Hogwarts. They wouldn't just abandon you because of a girl, Malfoy," said Hermione firmly.

"Agreed, owling sounds good. And I promise, I'll talk to my mother about it," assured Draco. There was a slight pause before he continued curiously, "what would you do, if you were in my situation?"

"If my parents hated wizards, and I liked one? I'm not sure... oh g-gosh," said Hermione emotionally, as her eyes began to tear up.

"You okay?" asked Draco in alarm as he moved closer to her.

"I'm fine, it's just that my parents don't even know that wizards exist. They don't even know that I exist, because I w-wiped their memories to keep them s-safe from the war," explained Hermione sadly. Realization dawned on Draco also, and he figured that she must have done that before the war had even started. That meant that her parents were probably in another part of the world, and had been there for months. At least he'd been with his parents up until recently, and he'd been with them during the entire war... Hermione hadn't even seen any of her family since it all began. And yet she'd been sympathetic towards him all this time because his parents were in danger, while her own were long gone. He noticed that a few tears were rolling down her cheek and she had began to cry. After feeling a powerful tug of guilt and sadness, he gently wrapped his arms around her. To his surprise, she hugged him back.

"I didn't know. You will restore their memories, though?" Draco pointed out curiously.

"Yes, when everything c-calms down. I've just m-missed th-them s-so much," sobbed Hermione as she leaned against him.

"At least they're alive and safe, that's pretty lucky since they're muggles and You-Know-Who was after you," said Draco, as he wasn't entirely sure what else to say. He'd never had a crying girl in his arms before, unless you counted Narcissa before he got onto the Hogwarts train in his sixth year. His mother had only been crying because she thought he was going to die trying to kill Dumbledore, though. Hermione on the other hand, was crying over something very personal, something she hadn't talked about for months. And instead of going to her room for privacy - which Draco expected - she simply leaned on him and sobbed. It was all rather foreign to him, and he had a feeling that Potter probably knew more about this than he did. Perhaps it had something to do with their houses again. Gryffindor's all want a shoulder to cry on and a friend to talk to, while Slytherin's lock themselves in their rooms to deal with their personal problems - that was pretty much a fact. After a while Hermione had stopped crying, and they remained locked together.

"W-when do you think I should restore their memories?" she asked quietly, with her head on his shoulder.

"Straight after my trial, at the start of the holidays. You can owl me about it," suggested Draco, with a brief smile at the idea.

"What if it g-goes wrong? And they n-never remember m-me?" Hermione continued, her voice laced with worry and anxiety. It was common knowledge that memory charms were very tricky, and most St Mungo's patients were people with damaged memories. Gilderoy Lockhart was just one example, and even five years after his memory charm had backfired, he was still at the hospital. No wonder Hermione was crying, she must have been worried sick about this for months. To have your own parents forget you ever existed, and to have them never recognise you again, was a horrible punishment. But he wasn't sure why Hermione would be so worried about this - her spells were practically perfect. There was nothing she couldn't do when it came to magic.

"Granger, what happened to, 'I'm the brightest witch of our age'? You're a genius," said Draco in exasperation.

"I only said that to try and annoy y-you," said Hermione with a brief laugh.

"It's still true. You got the highest marks possible for all of your O.W.L's-" continued Draco.

"Not Defence Against the Dark Arts, H-harry beat me in that-" Hermione protested in disappointmnt.

"A memory charm isn't Defence Against the Dark Arts, though. It's a charm, and Professor Flitwick said you were the best Charms student he'd ever seen," Draco interrupted firmly. There was silence after that, and he looked down to see Hermione smiling at the memories of Hogwarts and her marks. Even he found the memories of Hogwarts quite nice - there was absolutely nothing to worry about back then. Well, his sixth year was horrible due to becoming a Death Eater, but from his fifth year earlier it was awesome. There was no war, no death and no murder. Okay, there was a bit of death and a bit of Voldemort every year, because of Potter. But overall, life at Hogwarts was a hell of a lot more peaceful and simple than the present. After thinking about the positive aspects of it, he almost wanted to go back to being in the Slytherin common room again. But unfortunately, the negative aspects far outweighed the positives. He would have to carry the Dark Mark on his left forearm around like a curse, and the entire school - apart from Slytherin - would be against him. Although, that was how it always had been, because he'd always only had Slytherin friends anyway. And he'd always bullied every other house, so it wouldn't be that much different when he returned. Now though, he'd just have to be prepared to get bullied back.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Hermione, cutting him out of his thoughts.

"Hogwarts. And that your parents will be fine, you're just worrying too much-" Draco stopped suddenly, as the two of them could hear footsteps coming from upstairs. Right at the last moment they sprung apart as Harry and Ron came bounding down the stairs, and only Harry seemed to have noticed that they were affectionately pressed against each other. When they saw that Hermione had been crying however, things spiralled instantly out of control.

"Hermione, are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Ron demanded as he reached for his wand.

"N-no Ron, I'm fine-"

"Slimey git, sneaking up on her in the morning-"

"I'd put your wand down if I were you Weasley-" Draco spat, as he firmly grasped his own wand in his pocket.

"Both of you stop!" shouted Hermione as she stepped in between them, so that Ron's wand was pointing at her instead of Draco.

"Put your wand down, Ron," she ordered once she had their attention.

"What did he do-?" asked Harry urgently.

"I was crying about something else, he was just helping-"

"So you go to him for help, instead of us?" said Ron, looking rather hurt.

"You were asleep! I just happened to walk into him on the staircase-"

"I'm sure-"

"Not everything's about you Weasley, you cheap prick-"

"Malfoy!" gasped Hermione as she turned around to face him. All she got in return from him was a shrug and an amused smirk. It frustrated her how he didn't seem to care about who he provoked or anyone elses feelings.

"Take that back Malfoy-" demanded Harry.

"We'll see who's smirking in a minute-"

"All of you shut up!" screamed Ginny from the bathroom door. She was already out of the shower and fully dressed, and she was still drying her wet hair. The other four jumped in surprise and turned to see her standing outside the bathroom, looking at them incredulously. There was silence after that as nobody said anything, and they all began to calm down a bit.

"Merlin, you'll wake the entire house up," Ginny continued as she walked down to them.

"I'll talk to you about it later," promised Hermione after taking a deep breath. Harry and Ron just nodded, and didn't do anything further apart from glare at Malfoy hatefully.

"Hermione are you oka-" asked Ginny, after seeing the redness around her eyes.

"I'm fine!" snapped Hermione, at last losing her patience with everyone around her. She always got interrupted when she was with Draco, and he was always the first person to get blamed for everything. Ron just had to argue over everything and always had to be against Malfoy. And being the offensive, rude git that Malfoy could be, he made everything worse by insulting someone without any reason. It was just a never-ending cycle that had been going on since they were in the tent weeks earlier - in fact, it was a never-ending cycle that started all the way back at Hogwarts. They'd fought in the corridors millions of times, it was practically second nature to them now. Before anyone could say anything else, Hermione walked past them to the bathroom door.

"Malfoy, I'll go over your trial later? And try not to kill each other, you lot," said Hermione bossily, before going in to have a shower. Pretty much what she'd said was a secret message to Draco, which meant, 'we'll talk later, don't fight with the others'. It was impossible though, whenever she wasn't around and he was left alone with another male Gryffindor, something always went wrong.

"If you give us your Nimbus, we won't hex you," said Harry, the moment Hermione had closed the bathroom door. Draco smirked at him.

"My Nimbus? It's at home, I've got no idea what you're-" Draco lied casually.

"Don't play dumb with us Malfoy, you stole a Nimbus 2000 from the Room of Requirement like last week, it's in your room-" said Harry firmly. He was right of course, just last week they snuck into Hogwarts to get the Elder Wand and destroy a horcrux. Him and Hermione had to escape from the seventh floor when the Carrow's were after them, and he'd used a Nimbus broom to fly them both out. But there was no way he would be giving it away, because who knows what happened to his other brooms at home after the Death Eaters used them. All Nimbus racing brooms were valuable, too.

"It's mine Potter-"

"You stole it-!"

"I found it, there's a difference. And in case you forgot, I saved your precious bookworm's life with it-"

"You saved yourself with it, and took her with you-"

"I could have just left her there and gone, but I didn't! Stop accusing me of random shit, and find your own broom!" Draco snapped impatiently, as he shoved past them and made his way upstairs to his room. He had so many insults at the ready, and it was becoming incredibly hard not to start a massive fight with them. No doubt they wanted his broom because Weasley wouldn't be able to afford one in his lifetime. Or he probably needed it because he sucked ass at Quidditch and his little sister was better than him even with a slower broom. The whole lot of them were pathetic to him.

"We'll play you for it, we've got a small Quidditch pitch out the back," said Harry, and it sounded more like a challenge than a suggestion.

"Or we can just hex you instead, it's up to you," Ron added threateningly.

"I wouldn't try that Weasley, we don't want your spell backfiring and causing you to throw up slugs again," Draco sneered.

"That was five years ago-!" shouted Ron as his face went red.

"Whatever, I'll play you for it. Two versus two, I'm on the Weasel-girls team," announced Draco.

"Why would you want to be on mine?" asked Ginny in bewilderment.

"Potter tends to dramatically fall off his broom, and Weasley just sucks. Enough said," he answered with a smirk.

"Coming from the one who's never caught the snitch against Harry," Ron pointed out.

"We'll see," Draco replied shortly, as he turned on his heel and headed upstairs to his room to get the Nimbus. There was a short silence as the other three waited.

"I think you hurt his ego Ron. This should be very interesting," commented Ginny in excitement, as she grinned and headed down the stairs to get ready.

"Hey, Ginny! Go easy on us, will you? I really want his broom-" Ron complained.

"That isn't very good sportsmanship, now is it? I play by the rules, Ron. May the best fliers win," she called from the bottom of the staircase. A moment later and she was gone, and the two Gryffindor's were the only ones left. They turned to each other uncertainly as they realized that perhaps it wasn't going to be as easy as they thought to beat Malfoy at Quidditch. It wasn't that he was a bad Seeker - he was a decent one, but he'd just never been as good as Harry. With Ginny on his side though, and Ron on Harry's side, anything could happen.

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Meanwhile in the shower and in the bedroom on the third floor, Hermione and Draco were still dwelling on what they had just done. Draco personally couldn't care less what happened to his Nimbus, all he could think about was Hermione. She had actually admitted that she liked him - him, a Malfoy, a Slytherin, someone who had bullied her and made her life a living hell ever since they were twelve years old. And he'd admitted that he liked her, which was even more bizarre - she was a mudblood, a Gryffindor, a bookworm, a know-it-all, she was bossy and annoying and he'd bullied her and made fun of her for years. Deep down though, he knew that all of these things were just childish excuses and nicknames that they used as kids. The real thing that had kept them apart at Hogwarts was not their personalities - it was their parentage, their houses, their places in magical society and the fact that they were on opposite sides of a constant war. But it was different now, because all of this had changed. They weren't kids anymore, the war was over, and they'd actually gotten to know each other in the process. Unfortunately though, they were still on opposite sides of a very prejudiced society - at Hogwarts between the houses, and in the wizarding world between muggle-borns and purebloods. Despite this, and also despite the fact that his life would be going downhill starting with his trial, Draco couldn't help but feel a whole lot happier about things. Perhaps the next two months of summer holidays wouldn't be all that boring now that they were going to owl each other.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	24. Chapter 24

The game of Quidditch that they'd planned obviously had to be altered so that it was possible for only four people to play. The proper Quidditch rules were that different players had their own positions, and so a Beater couldn't catch the snitch, and a Seeker couldn't smack someone with a bat. In the two versus two game that was about to begin, however, there were no position rules and also no bludgers or bats - at the Burrow they only had a snitch and a quaffle. Therefore anyone could catch the snitch, anyone could use the quaffle and anyone could defend their goal posts. It was just a constant defend, score and search type of game between the four of them. This had Draco smirking from the word go, because Ron was hopeless at everything apart from being a goalkeeper, and Ginny had already been Chaser and Seeker for Gryffindor. And Potter also sucked at everything apart from catching the snitch. So he had a pretty good shot at winning, as long as he prevented Harry from getting the snitch. The 'Quidditch pitch' that they had was tiny in comparison to the Hogwarts one, so it was a perfect fit for four people. When the game started, Draco immediately chased after Harry and followed him everywhere. The problem was, of course, that Harry was smaller and had a Firebolt, while Draco was a bit heavier and had an old Nimbus. It was a frustratingly unfair match, but he relentlessly followed the other Seeker everywhere and planned to stop him from finding the snitch at all costs. Meanwhile Ginny and Ron were fighting to score goals with the quaffle, but Ginny was easily winning within minutes.

"Wha-" muttered Draco in shock, as he saw Harry burst impossibly fast towards the ground. Following instinctively, Draco went after him as fast as he could, at the same time searching for whatever it was that Harry had seen. As they were both heading towards the ground, Harry pulled out and Draco realized just a little bit too late that it was all a trick to make him crash. Every Seeker knew it and Harry had been practicing for years - but none of this mattered as Draco swore and frantically pulled his broom upwards at the last moment, just skimming the ground, losing control and being thrown over the top. After smashing and rolling along the ground for a few metres, he just groaned and took deep, painful breaths. He could hear distant laughing from above, and footsteps crossing the pitch to him.

"Malfoy! Are you okay?" came Hermione's voice. She reached him just as he began to push himself off the ground, looking furious.

"I'm fine, Granger-"

"Gosh, you're lucky you didn't hit the ground head first-"

"I pulled out just in time, it wasn't luck, it was skill. You'd better move, I've got a Firebolt to snap in half," he spat, as he walked - or limped slightly - over to his Nimbus in determination. Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing that it was only going to get worse from that moment forth. And she also prayed that he was joking, because if he seriously did try to damage Harry's Firebolt in any way, shape or form, he was practically signing his own death warrant. Regardless, she headed off the pitch towards a hill that was behind the goalposts with a Transfiguration textbook. She'd decided to start studying again, now that the war was over and she was returning to Hogwarts soon.

"How's your leg ferret, you seem to be limping a little-"

"Fuck off Weasley!" Draco snapped as he grabbed his Nimbus and shot back into the air. And so the match continued, but not for long. The short amount of time that Draco had spent on the ground was enough for Harry to spot, and catch the snitch with ease. After counting up the goals, the score ended up being 70-150, with Harry and Ron winning because of the 150 points the snitch gave them. Ginny had scored seven goals - ten points each - in the time it took Harry to catch the snitch. After he'd caught it, they all landed on the ground.

"We're winners! Hand over the Nimbus-" said Ron triumphantly.

"Best of three, that went too fast," argued Draco.

"It went too fast because I got the snitch so quick-" said Harry smugly.

"You only got it quick because this pitch is like one quarter of the Hogwarts one-"

"And you hit the ground-"

"At least I can get back up, unlike you who's spent more time in the Hospital Wing than actually playing-" spat Draco in reply.

"Both of you shut up, seriously! We'll play best of three, you win the first game," snapped Ginny, as she turned on her heels to walk back to her own goalposts. Draco followed her, doing his best not to limp as his leg throbbed painfully from where he'd been launched off his broom and into the grass. Once they reached their goalposts, they turned to face each other.

"How's your le-"

"Fine. I'm not catching the snitch anymore, I give up with Potter. Weasley sucks at goalkeeping, so me and you will just constantly get the quaffle in," began Draco quickly, having thought about this for a while.

"Agreed, if we get sixteen goals before Harry can get the snitch, we win," said Ginny with a mischievious grin.

"And every time you fly past Potter, smash into him on purpose-" continued Draco darkly.

"Hey, he's my boyfrie-!" protested Ginny.

"So? It's just a game, and my one thousand galleon Nimbus is on the line here-"

"One thousand galleon stolen Nimbus-" corrected Ginny with a snort.

"Either way, you know that getting Potter angry makes him play worse. I used to make Crabbe and Goyle target him with bludgers every game-"

"And he still won-"

"Are you going to help me or not? I thought you were good with tactics-" snapped Draco in frustration.

"Why should I help you? You don't even deserve to have that broom, plus I still think you're a git no matter what Hermione says," Ginny argued stubbornly.

"Fine, play however you want to. I'll win my own way," said Draco as he turned his back on her and flew off. Deep down he was extremely annoyed at all of the other Gryffindor's. If Ginny just played properly and worked with him to put Harry off his game and score continuous goals, they would win without a problem, there was no doubt about it. But of course, her actually helping him willingly was never going to happen. Not only had he apparently 'stolen' a broom which was hidden in the Room of Requirement - the same broom that he'd used to save Hermione's life - but he was also a git. He wasn't sure why this annoyed him so much, but he'd expected some level of respect after the past four weeks. Ginny didn't know any of the details - only Hermione, Pothead and Weasel knew what had happened between the four of them. And only Hermione acknowledged his help. Either way though, he wasn't going to be treating any of the Weasley's with respect any time soon, so why expect help from Ginny? He'd just have to do all the shoving, unfair play and dirty work by himself. He pushed all of this from his mind though as Ginny blew the whistle to start the second game. He instantly zoomed towards Harry, smashing shoulders roughly, before ducking under him and ripping the quaffle from Ron's hands and throwing it through the goalpost hoop. None of this was against the rules, technically speaking, so there was really nothing they could do about it. And so the game continued like this, getting more and more rough, with Harry getting more and more frustrated. Every time he stayed still in the air to search for the golden snitch - SMACK - from behind, and then he'd see Malfoy fly past with his middle finger up over his shoulder. It made finding the snitch impossibly hard.

"You can't keep doing that-!" Harry found himself bellowing.

"Why, can't you find the snitch?" Draco mocked in reply.

"Do it again and I'll knock you off your broom!" warned Harry, before speeding off to another area so that he could search for the snitch in peace. Draco smirked to himself, and decided to go score some goals before returning for another distracting shove. He and Ginny were already winning by thirteen goals, so it wasn't long until they had sealed their victory. After another minute of two, with his help, they'd reached sixteen goals and he speed towards Harry again.

"Sixteen goals Potter-" SMACK "- go ahead and catch the stupid snitch," he jeered victoriously. This seemed like the final straw, as Harry gave up searching for the snitch and instead headed for the quaffle in an attempt to out-score Draco and Ginny. At the same time, he began shoving Draco back quite painfully, because the Firebolt was ridiculously fast and at high speeds, two shoulders connecting wasn't exactly gentle. After a few minutes of this, Draco had the quaffle and was heading for another goal when he saw Harry launch at the ground unexpectedly. Draco sped after him as well, with the quaffle in hand, and he threw the ball as hard as he could downwards. The giant red ball connected with the back of Harry's head, knocking him forwards off his broom and causing him to crash into the dirt below. Draco then pulled out of the dive and snatched the golden speck of light, which had only been inches within Harry's reach moments before he'd been hit with the quaffle. It was all over within seconds, and Draco landed on the ground crying of laughter with the snitch in his hand.

"You're going to pay for that Malfoy!" Ron roared as he landed and jumped off his Cleansweep Eleven broom and moved to get his wand out. Before he could however, Draco was in the air again, just a few feet above them.

"I hit the ground first, now Potter hit the ground. It's only fair-" said Draco cheerfully.

"It's not fair at all, you threw the quaffle at his head! That's against the rules-" shouted Ron, with his wand pointed upwards at Draco. The sun was shining in his eyes though, and there was really no way he could hit a flying object with any spell.

"There weren't any rules to begin with!" Draco laughed from above. Ginny was kneeling beside Harry, who appeared to actually be rather injured as he did hit the ground alot harder than Draco had. A few moments later and Hermione had reached them, looking beside herself with anger.

"How dare you, he could be hurt-!" she shrieked at Draco from the ground.

"I was just making it even! He made me crash by tricking me, and I made him crash by-" began Draco defensively.

"By hitting him with a giant red ball, you're so childish!" Hermione screamed.

"Childish or not, it worked, and it was a damn good throw too," Draco snickered in reply. He hadn't seen Hermione this angry with him in a while, so he decided not to get her any more annoyed than she already was. After he'd said this she huffed angrily and walked over to Harry, who had finally began to get up. He was covered in dirt and grass and he was holding his right shoulder painfully as he sat on the ground. Ron went and got his Firebolt for him, as Ginny helped him stand up. Draco rolled his eyes at all of the dramatics - when he'd crashed into the ground all he got was laughs as the game continued. But if Harry Potter crashes, it's suddenly a big deal.

"That wasn't fair, you lose by disqualification and give me your broom-" said Ron angrily.

"I don't think so Weasley, I won that game fair and square. We've got another game to go-" answered Draco.

"There won't be another game, thanks to you, Harry's hurt his shoulder," snapped Ginny as she glared up at the Slytherin.

"Oh so it looks like you guys are disqualified? I guess I win and I'll be keeping my Nimbus, thanks," said Draco as he put on his most arrogant smirk.

"I can play-"

"No Harry, don't. He'll just keep hitting your right shoulder on purpose and it'll only get worse," said Hermione, as though she'd read Draco's mind.

"Yeah Harry, you'd better go to the Hospital Wing-" Draco mocked sarcastically.

"Go away!" Ginny shouted up at him.

\----------

About ten minutes later Ginny, Harry and Ron had all gone back inside to have Mrs Weasley see his shoulder. After that they were going to have lunch and probably plan ways to get back at Malfoy, whom had stayed outside to continue flying around. While he was pretending to practice flying and catching the snitch, he was constantly looking over at Hermione who had also stayed outside. She had stormed off to the hill beside the pitch and continued reading her book, after ranting that Quidditch was a stupid game, that they were all immature and that Draco needed to grow up. After about ten minutes of catching and letting the snitch go, he finally decided to go and talk to her. He caught and put the snitch in his pocket, and sped over to the hill beside her. When he landed, she didn't say hello or look up, but she instead just stared at her book with an upset expression. Draco sighed slightly, knowing that she was angry at him, as he sat down and waited for a few moments.

"Nice book. I like Transfiguration too-" he began sarcastically.

"Being sarcastic and mean isn't going to make me feel better-" Hermione snapped without looking up.

"I wasn't being mean-" Draco protested.

"You were! Yes, the war just ended, it's the summer holidays and I'm studying. So what?" argued Hermione as she put the textbook down.

"I didn't mean it like that - why are you so angry at me?" Draco demanded.

"Why did you have to try to knock Harry out, and then act as arrogant as possible afterwards?" countered Hermione as she glared at him.

"It was payback, he purposefully faked a dive to make me crash-" said Draco with a shrug.

"You're allowed to fake dive in Quidditch - you're not allowed to hit people with the quaffle! Everything Harry did was by the rules, everything you did was just unfair and rough-" Hermione accused in exasperation.

"By the rules or not, the reason he went into the dive was to have me hit the ground and break a bone. That's no better than throwing a ball at someone-" Draco argued defensively.

"I agree, it isn't any better - Harry did the wrong thing too. But you could have ignored it and been the better person," Hermione explained.

"I was the better person. I scored more goals than both of them put together, plus I caught the snitch and kept my broom-"

"You know what I mean, Malfoy," said Hermione, as she sighed and looked away. There was a short silence as neither of them spoke for a few moments.

"Why does it even matter, Granger? They wanted my broom and they didn't even deserve it in the first place-" continued Draco frustratedly.

"I know, the entire idea of playing for your broom was stupid. I knew something bad was going to happen," said Hermione in annoyance.

"And it wasn't my fault-"

"But it was!" groaned Hermione.

"How was it?"

"You didn't need to get payback, you didn't need to be arrogant about it all, and because you hurt Harry now Mrs Weasley is probably looking at his shoulder, and they're all blaming you-" explained Hermione, trying to make him understand what the extent of his actions were.

"So what? I don't give a damn what they think-" Draco said indifferently.

"But I do Malfoy! They're my best friends, and you always insult them, even in front of me," said Hermione exasperatedly.

"What do you expect me to do? Be nice to them? They're a bunch of gits-"

"They're not. They're honestly nice people and good friends, you just don't even want to try-"

"Exactly, I don't want to, and I probably never will," said Draco firmly.

"You might not care now, but what about at Hogwarts? Harry and Ron will be famous seventh years, probably both prefects because McGonagall is Headmistress. If they hate you at Hogwarts, the rest of Gryffindor will too-"

"The entire school will hate me no matter what I do, Granger. I'm a Death Eater, remember," Draco snapped, as he looked away from her and appeared to be rather upset about it.

"No Malfoy, you're not a Death Eater. And so what if they call you that, I was called names all the time-"

"You were called names for no reason, too. It didn't matter how you acted, you never did anything in retaliation, you never fought back - but we always called you a mudblood. I feel like shit when I look back on it, and I know that it's going to be the same for me. It doesn't matter how I act, I'll still be seen as one, so fuck it," said Draco angrily, feeling both guilty and frustrated at the same time. There was another short silence as Hermione moved closer to him and leaned her head against his shoulder gently.

"I like you, Malfoy. But if we hate each other's friends, we're only going to end up hating each other as well-"

"Oh, so you're saying you will try and be nice to Slytherin's-" Draco scoffed in disbelief.

"Yes, I will try, only if you try to do the same. You've only got one more night here, can you please just refrain from arguing or fighting with them for one night?" asked Hermione as she glanced up at him. He just sighed and nodded, looking towards The Burrow with dislike.

"Fine, just this night. I'm not promising anything after this," he said firmly.

"Thank you."

\----------

That night during dinner, Draco once again played against the rules. Instead of eating at the table with everyone else, he took his dinner up to his room like he had been doing for the past week. This helped shorten the amount of time he'd have to spend with everyone else, so he didn't have to 'refrain from arguing or fighting' so much. Hermione was probably annoyed, but she should have realized that he would do it. After he'd finished eating, he found himself re-reading some of the Magical Law textbooks nervously. No matter how much reassurance from Kingsley that it was going to be fine, he found himself getting more and more anxious the closer the trial came. The only other person his own age who'd had a trial was Potter, but there was no way he'd be going to ask how Potter's went. He could just ask Hermione, she probably knew all about it anyway. He heard someone call his name from downstairs so he headed for the door, went to the first floor and was greeted by Kingsley in the living room.

"Malfoy, we'll be leaving here tomorrow morning at five, so make sure you're awake and ready before then. Severus will be staying here the night too, and I'll come from the Ministry in the morning to pick you both up with Hermione," explained Kingsley briefly.

"Are my parents there?" asked Draco instantly.

"Yes, you will be able to see them after your trial," Kingsley answered. After that, he said some short goodbyes to the rest of the Order and had a few words with Snape, before leaving the house and apparating from outside.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	25. Chapter 25

Later that night he remembered that he had to ask Hermione to keep the entire four weeks a secret when they were at Hogwarts, because he didn't want the entire school - especially not the Slytherin's - to know that he'd been with them. He wasn't entirely sure why he wanted this, but he figured that it would make his life a whole lot easier if everything went back to normal. And also, some of the Slytherin's parents were Death Eaters, and most of them were also supporters of Voldemort. They would be his only true friends when he returned to Hogwarts, and if they found out that he'd helped bring Voldemort down... that would also mean that he helped send their parents, and his own father, to Azkaban. That, plus the fact that he'd gotten close to Hermione during the four weeks, made him want to keep it all a secret from the rest of the school. It was the best way to make things go back to normal for him. He made his way downstairs as he was thinking about all of this, and he headed towards Ginny's room since the girls shared it. He knocked on the door quickly.

"What do you want?" snapped Ginny when she opened it and saw him.

"Granger. I mean, I need to talk to her," said Draco impatiently.

"Well it's late, she's going to bed-"

"I'll be out in a second!" came Hermione's voice from inside.

"Hermione-!" argued Ginny, and a second later the door closed. Draco rolled his eyes and waited, as he could hear arguing from inside the room and he wondered what they were talking about. He was also thinking about Hogwarts and the trial, and the fact that after tomorrow he wouldn't be able to talk to Hermione again for a long time. Before he could worry about that any longer though, the door opened again and Hermione came out, quickly closing the door after her.

"Sorry about that, she's still angry about you hitting Harry with the quaffle," explained Hermione as she looked up at him.

"And she doesn't want you talking to me?" asked Draco curiously. They headed towards the living room where the lounges were, to be near the fire.

"Well, no. None of them do, really, but it's not their choice," Hermione reminded him.

"Either way, it doesn't matter because I won't be seeing you after tomorrow," Draco admitted gloomily.

"That's not true. We can owl each other, and then we'll both be at Hogwarts again-"

"Yes but at Hogwarts, you have to keep this a secret," Draco began, as he turned to her.

"We've already talked about this, you said you'd talk to your mother - and it doesn't matter what other people think," insisted Hermione.

"I know, but it's more than that. If Slytherin's find out that I was with you guys for four weeks, they'll know that I helped bring You-Know-Who down. They'll blame me for their parents being in Azkaban, I'll be seen as a traitor-"

"But you're not a traitor, you did the right thing for everyone. And besides, only a few Death Eaters were actually Slytherin parents-" argued Hermione.

"You don't understand though, you're not in Slytherin, Granger. The ones who have parents in Azkaban will blame me, their friends will join them, and Slytherin is a close-knit house. They'll be my only friends in the castle, I can't afford to lose them," he went on in determination. There was a long pause after he'd said this as Hermione thought about it, and she eventually sighed and nodded in agreement. All of her friends were in Gryffindor and all of his friends were in Slytherin, they both deserved to keep their friends, and he would need them for the upcoming year.

"I'm not the only one who knows though. Ginny, Harry and Ron will all have to agree," she pointed out.

"Well, could you-?"

"No, I want you to ask them yourself," answered Hermione firmly.

"You know I can't-!"

"You can! And besides, I'm sure they're just as eager as you are to pretend this never happened and continue hating each other," said Hermione disapprovingly, as she glared at the fire. Hermione could tell that the moment they returned to Hogwarts with the agreement to keep this a secret, the rest of them would forget it and return to the traditional inter-house hostility instead. For some strange reason, she had hoped that spending four weeks together would help defuse the tension and cause them to act normally towards each other. But instead, they seemed to have just decided that they hated each other even more. And what made it worse was that now she would be stuck in the middle of it all, because she had already decided that she wouldn't join in any fights with Slytherin's. She had also hoped that Draco would never use the word mudblood again, but who knows what would happen after they parted ways at Hogwarts. Draco noticed her upset expression as she looked at the fire, and vaguely figured out what she was worrying about.

"They hate me and I hate them, there's really nothing that will change that. But I'll never hate you," Draco promised sincerely, before he stood up and went upstairs to Harry and Ron's room.

\----------

The two Gryffindor's were rather strained as Draco walked into their room uninvited, and leaned against the wall. He noticed that Harry had a pained expression, a bruised arm and a slight lump on the back of his head, and he couldn't help but smirk. He was also resisting the urge to say something snide like, "how's your head, Potter?", because he knew that saying such a thing would only make the situation worse. And he'd promised Hermione that he wasn't going to fight or argue with anyone, at least for one night. So here goes-

"Wipe the smirk off your face, Malfoy-"

"I'll make this quick. When we get to Hogwarts, we're all going to forget that this happened, and you will not tell anyone that I spent the past four weeks helping you. Understood?" announced Draco with as much superiority as possible.

"Why don't you want anyone to know?" asked Harry quickly.

"Because I'm a Slytherin and you guys suck. It doesn't matter why, I'm just making sure you agree-"

"And if we don't?" demanded Ron.

"Well then everyone will think we're the best of buddies, Weasley, you idiot," said Draco sarcastically. He quickly cursed himself inside, realizing that he was already breaking the agreement with Hermione by insulting them.

"Fine, we'll pretend you weren't here. But you're not allowed to annoy us at all," said Harry firmly.

"Yeah, and if you go anywhere near Hermione I'm going to tell everyone the truth," added Ron.

"Don't act like you have control over me, I'm going to do whatever the hell I want," Draco snapped as he headed for the door.

"I'm being serious, I don't want you anywhere near her from now on," Ron continued as he got up from his desk and glared across the room at the Slytherin.

"Well that's funny, because I'm just about to go downstairs and snuggle with her beside the fire-" said Draco coldly.

"Like hell you are-"

"I'm glad we all agreed on keeping this a secret-" Draco went on casually.

"I'll tell everyone if you do it-"

"You can't threaten me Weasley-" Draco spat.

"Keeping this a secret is obviously important to you, and Hermione is important to me, so I think I can," Ron pointed out.

"She has nothing to do with this-!"

"She has everything to do with this!" shouted Ron in disagreement.

"That's enough, both of you-" warned Harry, but it was useless.

"Whatever's going on between you and her had better stop-"

"It's between me and her, not you-"

"She's my best friend-!"

"And she can make her own fucking decisions!" shouted Draco, at last losing his patience with the entire argument.

"Maybe she can, but you can't, because if you decide to go near her again I'll make your life hell at Hogwarts-" Ron threatened again.

"Do whatever you want, you can't stop me!" said Draco furiously as he turned and walked out of the room.

"Remember what I said!" Ron shouted after him, just as he slammed the door shut. Once out of the room, he took a deep breath and couldn't help but feel uncontrollably furious towards the stupid red-headed Gryffindor. He hated every single minute thing about that wizard. What made everything worse was the threat, and he was still trying to figure out why that aggravated him so much. He had a feeling that it had something to do with Voldemort. For the past year Draco had been controlled against his will, ordered around and told what to do. He'd been threatened in his sixth year that if he didn't kill Dumbledore, his parents would die. He'd had enough of obeying other people, and one part of him felt this way towards his parents. Being told that he couldn't be friends with a muggle-born girl might just cause him to explode. He looked up and noticed that Hermione was standing just down the hall a bit, and she must have heard some of the argument.

"I should have spoken to them for you, I was just being stubborn by making you do it-" Hermione began to apologize when he saw her.

"No, it's fine. Weasley is an asshole, but they agreed," said Draco as he snapped out of his original thoughts.

"And thank you," continued Hermione timidly.

"For what?"

"Saying that I can make my own decisions," she said with a small smile.

"You can. And so can I," said Draco firmly as he walked up to her.

"What have you decided?" asked Hermione.

"To owl you every single day over the summer," Draco said quietly.

"I can't wait," Hermione murmured with another smile. They locked eyes for a few moments, and for some bizarre reason Draco felt that it was right. She was right. She was perfect. It'd taken him four weeks to grow up and accept the fact that she wasn't a mudblood - she was just a girl, and he liked her and there was nothing wrong with that. The more they argued, the more they understood each other, and the more they'd grown to like each other without even realizing it. For the past couple of days they'd been getting closer too, the only problem was that Ginny usually interrupted them at the worst moments. This was the last night he'd be at the Burrow with her, with any form of privacy, before the summer and Hogwarts. Before they would be separated by everything and everyone. And he'd been planning to make the most of it, so what the hell? He moved closer to her and her smile widened slightly as she glanced up at him. Her eyes were a dazzling, chocolate brown and her smile was irresistible. All he could think about, and all that really mattered to him was to kiss her.

"You're beautiful," Draco murmured as he gently brushed one of her curls behind her ear. Hermione blushed and smiled nervously, as she held his shirt and leaned back against the wall, pulling him closer to her.

"I'm going to miss you," she replied softly. He thought of being stuck at Malfoy Manor for the next two months, and shook his head in disagreement.

"Not as much as I'll miss you," said Draco. He forgot about the trial and everything else though, and kept his eyes and his mind only on her, as he slowly moved his lips closer to hers.

"Well, well, I hope I'm not interrupting," said a drawling voice from just down the hallway. They both jumped and sprung apart at hearing the voice, and looked around to see who it was. There stood Snape, smirking at them in amusement. Draco felt both embarrassed with the situation but also frustrated at being interrupted for what felt like the millionth time.

"We were just, um," stammered Hermione, as she panicked and tried to think of something to say.

"Saying goodnight," Draco gritted out, as he glared at the Potions master.

"I see," sneered Snape with a pause before he continued, "well I just came up here to make sure you were ready for tomorrow, and to talk about your trial."

"Great, can we talk downstairs?" snapped Draco, making his frustration obvious.

"Of course," agreed Snape, as he turned on his heels and headed down the staircase without another word. The moment he was out of earshot and eyesight, Draco pulled Hermione towards him swiftly without saying anything and pressed his lips against hers. They stayed there for a moment, eyes closed, as Hermione leaned into him and returned the kiss equally. After a couple of moments of passionate kissing he reluctantly pulled away, knowing that he'd have to go and talk to Snape sooner or later. He felt exhilarated when it ended and their eyes connected again.

"That was unexpected," breathed Hermione, sounding rather dazed.

"I couldn't resist," Draco replied. Her smile returned as she glanced up at him coyly, and then she glanced down the hall too.

"You'd better go. We can talk in the morning," Hermione went on reluctantly. Draco sighed and nodded in agreement.

"Bloody professors," he muttered.

\----------

The next morning there was barely any time for anything as the three people who were going to the trial - Draco, Hermione and Snape - woke up in their individual rooms. They got ready and did everything as slowly and silently as possible, to avoid waking up anyone else in the house. Draco couldn't believe that it was already the morning of his trial, and he was definitely nervous, but he had another thing on his mind. He knew that he should have been worrying about his trial, but he also couldn't stop thinking about what he'd done last night. He, Draco Malfoy, had kissed Hermione Granger. Surely she was thinking about it too, but there was no time to ponder over it. Kingsley arrived early and wanted them to get to the Ministry well before the trial started, and so he waited in the living room patiently for them. Hermione and Snape were the first ones ready, and they didn't even have time for breakfast since Mrs Weasley wasn't awake. When Draco tiredly reached the living room last at a quarter to five, they all hurried outside and apparated. Once at the Ministry, they were pleasantly surprised to see that there had been radical changes since Voldemort had been in power. The statue in the middle of the main entrance hall of a witch and wizard standing on top of muggles had been removed, and the original golden fountain had been restored. The general atmosphere of the Ministry was dramatically improved, but they didn't have time to admire the view, as Kingsley was rushing them down to Level Two, where the Wizengamot was located. Once there, it was only five minutes till five in the morning, so there weren't many people around and they were right on time.

"You three wait out here, I've got to go in now. Myself, Elphias Doge and Cornelius Fudge will be the ones asking questions. It shouldn't go for long, so I'll see you afterwards," said Kingsley with a short nod, before he walked towards the entrance to the large, circular Wizengamot room. The other three people waited outside in the hallway - Snape looking calm, Hermione looking anxious, and Draco looking nearly terrified.

"You answer questions, I do the talking. Just be honest and don't argue, it only makes things worse," Snape reminded him, to break the silence. Draco just nodded, looking pale. He glanced at Hermione and noticed that she was watching him sympathetically. She desperately wanted to touch him, or hug him, but she knew she couldn't. Not with Snape right next to them, and not right before they were about to go in. Instead, she just smiled in reassurance. Draco did his best to remember everything that he'd read and convered with her over the past couple of days. But instead all he could remember was her eyes, her lips, her voice, her body... not the books. He cursed himself silently as he tried to focus on the trial. A moment later the door opened again, and a Ministry official indicated for them to come in.

"Only one witness is allowed at a time," he ordered strictly, stopping Hermione from entering after the other two. They had decided beforehand to have Snape go in first and do most of the talking, as most of the trial would involve him. Hermione would only be required to provide evidence that Draco had done nothing wrong whilst at Malfoy Manor when she was captured by snatchers.

"Good luck," she called, as she watched Draco and Snape walk into the room and the door close after them.

\----------

"Disciplinary hearing of the twenty-second of June. Interrogators: Kingsley Shackelbolt, Minister for Magic; Cornelius Fudge, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Elphias Doge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. Court Scribe, Percy Weasley. First witness for the defence, Severus Snape," announced Kingsley's booming voice throughout the Wizengamot. Draco was sitting down in the chair in the middle of the room, and Severus was seated beside him in another, looking rather bored. There were exactly fifty Wizengamot members, all staring down at them readily.

"Let us begin. You are Draco Malfoy, of Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England?" asked Cornelius Fudge, who was obviously the main interrogator. Kingsley was an Auror, so it wasn't exactly his place to be in a court room - Draco assumed that he was only there as the Minister for Magic, to make the final decisions.

"Yes," answered Draco, as strongly as he could.

"You have the Dark Mark, correct?" continued Fudge quickly.

"Yes," said Draco coldly. He was indicated to show it as proof, and he pulled his left sleeve up to reveal the mark on his left forearm.

"And you received the mark during your sixth year of Hogwarts?"

"Yes."

"And you willingly accepted it?"

"What?" snapped Draco.

"Did you willingly accept the mark?" repeated Fudge impatiently.

"I didn't want it, but I had no choice," answered Draco, feeling his face go red slightly with anger.

"Did you or did you not attempt to assassinate Albus Dumbledore, on more than one occasion?" continued Fudge instantly. Draco hesitated, clearly taken off guard by the sudden question that he hadn't answered or discussed with anyone for months. What did they expect him to say? He remembered Snape's advice about answering all questions honestly, and not arguing, so he took a deep breath.

"Quickly now, we haven't got all morning," snapped Fudge.

"Y-yes, but I didn't have a choice-"

"What were your attempts, what did you do?"

"I - I poisoned a bottle of mead? And used a cursed necklace-"

"A cursed necklace? That must have been highly dark magic, where did you purchase it?"

"Borgin and Burkes-"

"So you openly admit to purchasing, being in possession of and using dark magical objects in an attempt to-" began Fudge in satisfactory.

"I had no choice-" Draco protested. By this point he'd already got the gist of how a trial went. They just questioned you continuously until they had you cornered, and then they tried to press charges. He didn't like the feeling of being listened to and watched by over fifty court members either, and he could see Percy Weasley writing everything down eagerly in his notebook.

"Dumbledore was aware of the attempts on his life from the very start, and he was using me to try and help Draco through it. The attempts on his life were simply feeble acts, organized by myself, to make Draco appear to be making progress for Voldemort. Dumbledore himself said that they were harmless, and he remained untouched," said Snape, interrupting the fast paced questioning. He knew he was lying slightly there, since Draco was actually acting completely of his own accord, but they needed to change the facts a bit.

"Harmless? What about the student who was sent to Mungo's after touching the necklace-" demanded Fudge.

"She recovered with absolutely no lasting injuries, and there is no proof that it was the same dark object that Draco used, as the necklace is currently lost," answered Snape quickly. Fudge looked frustrated, as he opened and closed his mouth, unable to continue arguing that point.

"So be it! The night of Dumbledore's death, do you admit to helping Death Eater's break through the magical defences of the Hogwarts castle?" Fudge went on relentlessly, now glaring down at the young Slytherin.

"That was entirely Voldemort's doing," answered Snape quickly.

"Entirely-? That is absurd! No ordinary wizard can break into Hogwarts alone, it is impossible! The Death Eaters would have required inside help!" argued Fudge.

"Voldemort was no ordinary wizard, however, and he wasn't alone, he had all of his Death Eaters to help him. And Dumbledore was weak and disoriented that night. Also, it is possible to break into Hogwarts alone - Sirius Black is proof of that," said Snape indifferently.

"Sirius Black was an illegal Animagus, the circumstances were different!"

"And if Sirius Black could manage to break in entirely by himself, I'm sure Voldemort could have as well, don't you?" said Snape, glaring back at the other wizard. There was once again another silence as the interrogator contemlplated this.

"Fine. Do you admit to using the Cruciatus curse on both Thorfinn Rowle and Harry Potter?" continued Fudge, seemingly determined to prove something against Draco.

"I was forced to use it on Row-"

"Did you or did you not use the Cruciatus curse on both accounts?"

"Yes, I did, but I-"

"You should know that Potter retaliated with equal dark magic, and it was just a scuffle between two Hogwarts teenagers-" drawled Snape casually.

"Using an Unforgivable curse isn't scuffling in my books-!" growled Fudge in anger.

"And he was forced to use the Cruciatus on Rowle. I myself was in the room when he did it, and he was directly threatened by Voldemort," continued Snape.

"What was the situation in which you used the curse?" asked another voice, this time from Elphias Doge, an older man who had remained silent throughout the interrogation so far. The question was obviously directed towards Draco, who took another deep breath.

"The threats were always the same. If I didn't obey, I would be forced to watch my parents be murdered in front of me, and then I would die as well," answered Draco steadily, as he stared at the ground. There was quiet muttering from around the room as the Wizengamot council members began discussing the answers so far. The discussion went on and on, and none of them seemed to be stopping anytime soon, for which Draco was grateful. He'd already had enough of being interrogated, and it was thanks to Snape that he hadn't been hauled off to Azkaban yet. Fudge clearly didn't like him. As the discussion ended, Elphias Doge decided that they would move on from the sixth year issues and begin talking about recent events that happened at Malfoy Manor. At that, Snape called on Hermione to take over as the witness, and he left the room. Draco felt rather vulnerable at that moment, and Fudge seemed satisfied that he would now have an easier time with his interrogation.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	26. Chapter 26

Hermione walked into the large room and was rather shocked at how many people were present and watching her. It seemed that Death Eater trials were a big deal, but she ignored all of the watching eyes and instead looked only at Draco. He appeared more pale than usual, slightly panicked, but also frustrated. She guessed that he was frustrated because of Cornelius Fudge - she remembered when Harry explained how his trial had gone, during their fifth year when he'd done underage magic. He'd been constantly interrupted and bombarded with questions, and it was clear that Fudge wanted him in deep trouble too. Harry was lucky that he had Dumbledore though... this time there was no genius defender, only her and Snape, who seemed rather satisfied when he'd left the room. Hermione finally reached the seat beside Draco, sat down, and took a deep breath.

"Okay, let us continue. You are Hermione Granger?" asked Fudge.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed.

"Good. So, at Malfoy Manor, how many prisoners were kept there?" he continued, this time asking Draco.

"Five, in total," answered Draco.

"What were their names? When did each of them arrive?"

"Ollivander was the first, he had been locked in the cellar while I was at Hogwarts during my sixth year. Luna Lovegood was locked in the cellar after the sixth year of Hogwarts was over. Dean Thomas and a goblin named Griphook were locked in there about five weeks ago, and Hermione Granger was just over four weeks ago," finished Draco, glancing across at Hermione nervously.

"So miss Granger, what were the conditions in which you suffered in the cellar?" asked Fudge, looking at her this time.

"Not very good. It was cold, no lights, not much food. But Ollivander had been there for two years, so it obviously wasn't bad enough to kill you," answered Hermione honestly.

"Were you starved?"

"No."

"Were you tortured excessively?"

"By Bellatrix Lestrange when I arrived. Otherwise, no."

"Did you suffer any discomfort at the hands of Draco Malfoy?"

"No."

"Are you sure? That is why you're here, to be a reliable witness-"

"Yes, I'm sure. He was just as scared as I was, and he actually helped me escape and that's why we're both alive," said Hermione firmly. After hearing this Fudge seemed incredibly disappointed and rather confused, as he'd been expecting her to say something bad about Draco. There was a short silence before he continued again.

"Did Draco Malfoy attempt to kill you or not?"

"He was ordered to kill me by You-Know-Who. He refused to do it, though, obviously," said Hermione, as she indicated to herself to emphasise the fact that she was still alive.

"So you didn't suffer any cruel treatment from-"

"None from Malfoy. We suffered cruel treatment from Fenrir Greyback, Peter Pettigrew, Bellatrix Lestrange and You-Know-Who," stated Hermione clearly. After she'd given them those names, the entire Wizengamot seemed satisfied as they burst into a long discussion. Even Fudge smiled a bit, as he looked across at Percy Weasley - who was still writing the trial down - and nodded towards him. Percy hurriedly wrote the names down, looking equally satisfied. Obviously this gave them the ability to lock up Fenrir Greyback and Bellatrix in Azkaban for much longer, since they'd been accused of something by a witness. Bellatrix was obviously already in Azkaban for life though, after all the murders she'd been accused of. Wormtail and Voldemort were already dead. Hermione heard the Slytherin beside her take a deep breath of relief, as he let his head fall back and relax.

"You alright?" Hermione asked.

"I am now," he answered.

"The punishment is probably coming up soon, so don't relax yet," Hermione went on, almost nervously. As she said that, they noticed that Kingsley, Elphias Doge and Fudge were all speaking quietly amongst themselves. They seemed to be arguing over something as well, which was possibly the punishment. After a few minutes of this, Kingsley raised his hands to get everyones attention.

"Those in favour of one year in Azkaban?" came Kingsley's booming voice. Hermione's eyes widened incredulously, as Draco felt his heartbeat suddenly skip and race uncontrollably.

"You can't do that-!" began Hermione, but Kingsley glanced at her warningly. She remained silent, and looked around at the Wizengamot as nobody raised their hands, not even Fudge. Maybe one or two old witches in the far corners of the rooms raised their hands, but they were completely ignored by the other forty-eight members. Draco sighed in relief a second time, but his heart was still thudding painfully.

"Those in favour of five years of magically enforced probation?" came the next vote. A few more hands were raised this time, but still not enough to make that the decided punishment.

"Those in favour of attendance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and three years of magically enforced probation, after which all charges will be cleared?" said Elphias Doge this time. After this, almost every hand in the room was raised as they all agreed. That then became the final verdict, and the trial ended abruptly as Percy finished writing the last few words. A few moments later and Kingsley, Doge and Fudge all got out of their seats and escorted Draco and Hermione out of the room. The rest of the Wizengamot remained seated, as they were probably staying there all morning to continue doing trials and interrogations. Once they'd left the room they met with Snape and continued down the hallway for more privacy.

"I told you Hermione, nothing to worry about," said Kingsley with a smile.

"Well you scared me when you said one year in Azkaban-" Hermione retorted.

"That was the furthest extreme - it had to be voted on, it's just protocol," said the Minister casually as though he did it every day. Which, they realized, he probably had been doing it every day since he became Minister for Magic.

"I probably could have brought it down to one year of magical probation without Hogwarts, however I think three years is best - that way the Auror's are watching you and it keeps the escaped Death Eaters off your back," explained old Doge, almost in an apology, as he looked at Draco.

"Thank you, sir, it went absolutely fine," said Draco hurriedly, as he felt completely relieved at the result. Nobody had ever told him that the Wizengamot could clear people of all charges, but then he remembered how Hermione had told him that Harry had been cleared of all charges in his fifth year. He was incredibly lucky that Doge had suggested him to be cleared of all charges, because after three years all of the Death Eaters would hopefully be locked up anyway. Then he'd be free of all charges and his whole family would be free. It was exactly what he wanted.

"You're lucky the Minister has given you a chance, mister Malfoy. Lets just hope you don't turn out like your old man," said Fudge sternly.

"Lets also hope that you watch what you say about my father," came Draco's snappy reply.

"I can speak about-"

"Okay that's enough, come on Cornelius we've got another trial to do," said Kingsley, making it sound more like an order than conversation. Fudge glared at both Draco and Snape, before turning on his heel and striding down the hallway towards the trial room.

"Don't worry about him, he's always getting into arguments-" Kingsley continued with a shake of his head.

"But without Barty Crouch, he's one of the only good interrogators left," said Doge grimly.

"And he's promised to help us lock up all the Death Eaters, for as long as possible... but anyway, don't you two worry," said Kingsley in satisfaction as he turned to Hermione and Draco, "that's all settled now. However you may be required to return here over the summer to discuss your attendance to Hogwarts, being an ex-Death Eater and all. Other than that though, your mother is staying at the Leaky Cauldron - she's been there waiting for your trial to end for days. You can see her and return home now. Your father is... in Azkaban, so you'll have to visit him there, perhaps another time."

"Thank you," said Draco, as he nodded in understanding. Kingsley said goodbye to Snape, and then the two Ministry officials went back into the trial room to join the Wizengamot. Snape, Draco and Hermione left the hallway and headed back to the main entrance hall of the Ministry of Magic, where the golden statue was. Once there, they stood amongst the sea of Ministry workers who were arriving for work early in the morning, and turned to each other.

"I have to go to Diagon Alley to see Professor McGonagall, for Hogwarts business. You can come with me Draco, and go home with Narcissa. Granger, I'll take you back to The Burrow-" Snape began. It felt rather odd hearing Snape talk to them outside of school, since he'd been their professor and he'd taught them since they were eleven years old. However, Hermione realized that Draco was perfectly comfortable around Snape, since they were so alike and Snape had been his mentor the entire time at Hogwarts. Likewise she was much more comfortable around McGonagall. It was probably due to their different houses.

"No, I want to come to Diagon Alley for a while," said Hermione quickly as she glanced at Draco, who nodded.

"We have some 'Hogwarts business' too," said Draco sarcastically.

"How lovely. You'll have to apparate to The Burrow yourself then, miss Granger? Because once we arrive at Diagon Alley, I won't be seeing either of you again until Hogwarts. What a pity," said Snape with equal sarcasm. Hermione rolled her eyes at both of them, as they all held hands and prepared to apparate.

\----------

A few moments later and they'd apparated directly into the main street of Diagon Alley. The scene before them was quite amazing - construction and rebuilding. During the war most of the shops had been broken into, stolen from and destroyed. Most of the shop owners had been kidnapped and even killed, Ollivander being just one example. Of course at the end of the main street they could see Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, a bright explosion of colour and noise that attracted most of the shoppers. Since Fred's death, nobody had been able to help comfort George - not even his other brothers, Molly or even Ginny. He'd been utterly broken, and a few days after the war had ended he left The Burrow without telling anyone and had been staying at the joke shop by himself ever since. Hermione decided to stop by and say hello, before returning to The Burrow. Every other shop along the street were being fixed up and re-opened, however, and some had new owners.

"Well, I've got to go. See you in two months, and see you... soon," said Snape, nodding towards Hermione for two months, and Draco for soon. Draco nodded in understanding and said goodbye, as Hermione struggled to figure out what he meant by it. Snape left them standing in the middle of the street, and headed over to Flourish and Blotts - the bookshop where Hogwarts students buy their school books from - where he was presumably meeting McGonagall. Maybe they were organizing next years new list of books, which excited Hermione more than ever. Books, subjects, classes, exams, corridors, the castle, the lake, the Gryffindor common room, Hagrid! Even Peeves and Moaning Mertle were rather fond memories. She couldn't believe that she was finally going to return to the familiar atmosphere of Hogwarts again.

"Bet you'd love to be in there," smirked Draco when he saw her staring over at the bookshop.

"No! I'm just excited about Hogwarts, that's all," said Hermione as she blushed.

"I'm just glad that everything's over," Draco replied with an audible sigh of relief.

"In a way, everything's just beginning though. What did Snape mean by, 'soon'?" asked Hermione curiously as they began walking down the street.

"Oh, he's going to be visiting over the summer, since... my father's in Azkaban, and Snape promised to help me out. For Narcissa," explained Draco uncomfortably. Hermione nodded, as she guessed she kind of understood that. She supposed that Draco was right - Slytherin was a close-knit house, and it made sense for Snape to be a mentor and father-figure to Draco at times. After all, it was Snape who'd been there for him during his sixth year, and it'd been Snape who'd taught him Potions, favoured him in class all of the time, and even protected him from Voldemort to an extent.

"What did Kingsley mean by me having to return to the Ministry about attending Hogwarts?" asked Draco next, in confusion.

"I'm not sure. Maybe you'll be under special circumstances or something, since you're an ex-Death Eater? It wouldn't have mattered anyway though, because McGonagall said she might be repeating the entire school. Seventh year is compulsory, so you would have been forced to attend anyway," said Hermione with a shrug.

"True. It's still going to suck either way," muttered Draco as he thought about it.

"Ooh, Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour is open again!" exclaimed Hermione, as she pointed at the pleasant looking ice cream shop. She hurried over to it and Draco rolled his eyes as he followed her.

"What's so special about this place?" he asked when he sat down beside Hermione at one of the tables.

"Well, the owner was killed by Death Eaters, but someone must have bought his shop and re-opened it. And me and Harry just really like these ice creams," said Hermione cheerfully. They ordered ice creams, despite the fact that it was still very early in the morning. Draco couldn't help but smile as he realized how bizarre the entire situation was. He was having ice creams for breakfast with a muggle-born girl who he was supposed to hate, whom he'd kissed the night before. With Slytherin's and purebloods you just never did this sort of stuff. Ice creams were considered childish, lower-class even, and someone like Pansy would never have suggested, "let's go have ice creams!". Instead most girls would want to go to Madam Puddifoot's stupid pink tea shop at Hogsmeade, which he absolutely loathed. Plus he couldn't help but let his mind continuously dwell on the kiss the night before. Every time he looked at Hermione, he unconsciously pictured himself kissing her again. It was incredibly distracting.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Hermione, as he glanced at her. She licked her strawberry ice cream and smiled slightly.

"You. I mean, I can't believe I kissed you," said Draco awkwardly.

"I can't believe I let you. Me and Ron were kind of going out last year, but he never even got close to kissing me. And even if he did, I wouldn't have let him because he's like a brother to me. But with you, it was..." said Hermione nervously, as she glanced at his lips and then to his eyes as she tried to find the words to describe it.

"'Unexpected'?" quoted Draco with a smirk, as that was exactly what she'd said the night before. Hermione laughed as she nodded.

"And... nicer than what I expected? Gosh sorry, that probably sounded stupid-" said Hermione in embarrassment.

"No, that's what I thought too," agreed Draco amusedly.

"What else did you think?" asked Hermione curiously this time. To be completely honest, she had only ever kissed one other guy in the past, and that was Victor Krum. To be completely honest again, Draco was a much better kisser than him. But that was probably because he'd kissed practically every Slytherin girl in their grade and Ginny's grade too.

"Kissing you again has been the only thought going through my head, now more than ever," admitted Draco, as he glanced down at her lips which were slightly coated with strawberry ice cream. She licked them and blushed, completely forgetting about her melting ice cream and everything else around them. Then she suddenly shook her head, and leaned back when she realized how close they'd been getting.

"We'd better not do it again, or else I won't be able to stop thinking about it for the next two months," said Hermione hurriedly. Draco felt a twinge of disappointment but he knew that she was right, as usual. His entire plan had been to forget that this had ever happened, so that he could go back to Hogwarts as an ordinary Slytherin seventh year. Kissing her again would only make everything harder. But deep down he found himself not caring about anyone or anything else but her. She was almost like an addiction, and the first kiss had him hooked instantaneously. Or maybe it was the first hug. Or the first genuine conversation.

"Okay, important stuff," said Hermione aloud, as if to snap them out of whatever trance they were in, "this is kind of goodbye, since we won't see each other again until Hogwarts, and when we're at Hogwarts anything could happen, so..."

"So I'll owl you. I'll need the address to The Burrow though, my owl has never been there-" said Draco, taking the hint and deciding to talk about the things that mattered most.

"And I'll need your houses address too. I haven't got an owl, Harry's died, and Ron's is a bit... you'll know what I mean when you see it," said Hermione with a small laugh. She imagined the miniature owl called Pig flying all the way to Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire - wherever that was - and then collapsing inside Draco's room with a letter from her. That's what it usually did on long-distance flights between her house and The Burrow. Draco smirked slightly as he wondered what he'd be able to do to Ron's owl, perhaps as revenge for all the arguments and disagreements they'd had whilst hunting horcruxes.

"I know what you're thinking, but it's my owl too - don't do anything mean to it," said Hermione sharply as she looked up from the piece of paper she was writing on.

"Wow how do you do that? I'm beginning to wonder whether you're secretly studying Legilimency-" smirked Draco sarcastically.

"Or you're just predictable sometimes," smiled Hermione as she finished writing the address. Then she tore the piece of paper in half and handed him the blank piece and a pen, so that he could write down Malfoy Manor's address. He stared at the pen and paper blankly.

"This isn't parchment, and what on earth do I-?" he began in confusion.

"Oh! It's muggle paper, and a pen. The pen has the ink in it already, so you don't need a quill and ink bottle," explained Hermione, after laughing at his confusion. Draco's eyes widened slightly as he inspected the blue ballpoint pen.

"Of course - muggles - always making everything strange," he went on, as he tried to appear unimpressed.

"Yeah right, you have to admit that pens are much easier to use than quills and ink bottles," argued Hermione exasperatedly.

"They're too muggle-like and uncomfortable. I think I'll just stick to my golden phoenix-feathered quill at home," said Draco indifferently as he wrote down his address in fancy hand-writing. Hermione rolled her eyes at his obvious, 'I'm-better-than-everyone' attitude, but found herself smiling anyway. When he handed her the piece of paper with Malfoy Manor's address on it, she handed him the paper with The Burrow's address.

"If you don't like pens, you could always go to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes - they've got self-inking quills, so you still won't need an ink bottle," Hermione went on casually. Draco blinked slightly in surprise, as he realized how helpful that really was. Everyone hated the ink bottles, they was extremely frustrating and hard to clean up when you spilt them or knocked them over. And it was really slow in class, and you constantly ran out and had to go buy more. With Hogwarts coming up and everyone hating him, using an ink bottle in class probably wouldn't be the smartest idea - he could almost guarantee that people will knock it over purposefully. He knew because he'd done it to other people in the past - including Hermione, actually.

"Those would be useful, but I don't think I'll be strolling into Weasley's shop anytime soon," said Draco, as he glanced down the street at it. Hermione nodded in understanding.

"I think I'll visit and see George before I go back to The Burrow. I feel so sorry for him," Hermione sighed. Draco didn't reply, and she realized that he wouldn't know what to say at that point, because he didn't even have any siblings at all. Either did she for that matter, but at least she'd had the Weasley's, and they were all like brothers and sister to her. Draco had never had that sort of relationship with anyone, except for perhaps Crabbe and Goyle, who could be labelled either his bodyguards, cronies or brothers. They all fit quite well. Hermione noticed that Draco had glanced down the other side of the street towards the Leaky Cauldron, where his mother had been waiting for days. She could see the anxious, longing and almost protective gaze he had in his eyes. She'd never seen him be protective of anyone. It was yet another surprise that made her realize that there was still so much she didn't know about him.

"Do you miss her?" asked Hermione quietly.

"More than you know. If anyone had hurt her when I was gone I would have killed them," admitted Draco openly.

"I miss my mum and dad too. It feels like an eternity since I saw them last, and I can't wait to restore their memories. And now I'm going to miss you too," said Hermione, as she looked at him sadly. They could both feel that the time had come for them to say their final goodbyes, and they'd both been secretly dreading it.

"You'll see your parents again though, and you'll see me again. I guarantee it," said Draco, as he genuinely smiled.

"I know. Well... I'll see you in two months, Malfoy," said Hermione, after taking a deep breath. She stood up and put his address in her pocket, before hugging him tightly in goodbye.

"See you at Hogwarts, Granger," Draco murmured into her ear as he held her.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	27. Chapter 27

When Hermione had said her final goodbyes to Draco and they parted ways, she desperately felt like turning around and just staying with him in Diagon Alley for the entire day. But she knew she couldn't, and even if she could, it wouldn't seem right. He was heading back to his hysterical mother, his condemned father, and his own life which was now shattered into pieces. He would probably want privacy when he was reunited with Narcissa, just like she will want privacy when she goes to restore her parents' memory. She was heading back to her loving parents, her loving friends, her bright future and her own life which was quite the opposite of his. As she thought about all of this, she headed down the street towards Fred and George's - well, just George's now - their joke shop, which was bursting with colour and activity. Hermione looked over her shoulder and saw the back of Draco's retreating figure, walking the opposite direction towards the gloomy entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. She sighed.

The past four weeks - the past seven years, actually - had been completely wild, unpredictable, dangerous, extraordinary, sad, unfortunate... but also beautiful, amazing and magical. Anything was possible in a world like that, anything was possible with wizards like Dumbledore and Voldemort. But now that world was over, Voldemort was finished at last, many people had died, and the aftermath was going to be something entirely different. With these thoughts in her mind, Hermione entered the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop, and made her way towards the counter. The shop was massive now, even larger than what it had been the first time she'd seen it, and she found herself smiling in awe at the sight. Fred and George truly were genius', with the amount of inventions they'd come up with.

"Fancy seeing you here Hermione, what can I get you?" asked a pleasant voice from behind her. Hermione swirled around and saw George leaning casually against a stand of Skiving Snackboxes, Ton-Tongue Toffees and a range of other new magical lollies.

"Oh I'm fine, I was just in Diagon Alley and thought I'd stop by. How are you?" asked Hermione, as she watched him walk around her towards the counter.

"How am I? That's a tricky question, on the inside I'm dreadful but on the outside I'm brilliant," answered George in the same pleasant tone. Hermione raised an eyebrow in confusion, as she watched him unwrap a lolly and pop it in his mouth.

"A new invention - Cheery Chocolates - it's basically like a Cheering Charm, it just makes you happy," he explained as he threw one to Hermione.

"You've been eating these to stay sane?" asked Hermione incredulously, as she inspected the chocolate.

"Yep-"

"George, you really shouldn't be doing this. Cheery Chocolates, Ton-Tongue Toffees and other magical candy aren't good for you-" she said with a reluctant sigh. She was vividly reminded of how the twins had tested their candy on Hogwarts students just years before, and how they'd used one on Dudley to make his tongue gigantic. They weren't very fond memories for Hermione, because she was a prefect at the time and she thought that what they were doing was wrong.

"Nothing's good for me anymore, Hermione. I'm not good, on the inside. This shop, our inventions, are the only things keeping me going," replied George as he leaned against the counter and smiled.

"I suppose. Promise me you'll stop using them soon though? Too much of these could be dangerous," said Hermione as she walked over and put the chocolate back on the counter. She didn't even want to know how he tested them to make sure they were safe.

"I promise. Enough of me though, what about you? What're you doing in Diagon Alley on this fine morning?" began George as he sorted money at the counter.

"Kingsley asked me to be a witness for Draco Malfoy's trial. It ended earlier, so I decided to stick around and see you," said Hermione casually.

"Malfoy, I never liked that git. How'd his trial go?" asked George, sniggering slightly.

"Just a few years of magical probation, and he has to attend Hogwarts. He's not that bad anymore either, you know. After the war... everyone has changed," said Hermione in a forced casual tone. She didn't want to make it sound like she was defending Draco, because after what George had been through, he probably hated all Death Eaters to the very core.

"You're right, everyone has changed. Some people have changed so much, that they're now a lifeless body in the ground. Or they've become idiots who get high on happiness candy," said George in a rather shaky voice.

"As you can probably tell, the Cheery Chocolates are a bit faulty and the magic tends to wear off unpredictably. They won't be on the shelves until I've got the ingredients just right-" George went on, as he got another lolly from his pocket and prepared to eat it to help cheer himself up again. Hermione grabbed his wrist however, and took the lolly from his fingers.

"Don't, George. Suppressing emotions only makes it worse, sometimes talking to someone about it helps-" she suggested.

"I've talked about it enough, that doesn't help. The only thing that will ever make things right again is having my twin back, just once, but that's impossible," snapped George as he pulled his arm from her grasp.

"Your inventions and the shop must be helping though, you said that yourself," said Hermione helpfully.

"They do help, mainly to distract me and keep me busy. But it also reminds me of him constantly, which is driving me insane. I can't escape from the memories, because everything we did and everywhere we went, we were together. It's like trying to distract myself from my own shadow," explained George in an extraordinarily calm voice. He was much more relaxed about it than he had been on the night of Fred's death. Just a few nights earlier and he was a devastated, hysterical mess, barely capable of speaking. And now he could talk about it fluently - Hermione supposed that it was the Cheery Chocolates still working their magic on his emotions. Maybe the chocolate was a mixture of Cheering Charms and Calming Draught potion? Who knew how the Weasley twins invented it.

"I wish I could relate, but... I've never had a twin. The closest thing to twins would be Harry and Ron, and I can't even imagine what losing them would do to me," said Hermione softly.

"Tear you apart, that's what it would do," answered George grimly.

"Well, at least I'd have some Cheery Chocolates to cheer me up," said Hermione with a grin.

"Right you are - and ice cream too, that always helps."

"Speaking of ice cream, we had - I mean, I had some ice cream from that Fortescue's ice cream shop down the road earlier. I thought he died though?" said Hermione, wondering if George would know what happened to the other shop owner.

"He was killed by Death Eaters a while back. How did you like my ice creams, though?" asked George, with his trademark wink.

"Your-? You bought Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour?" asked Hermione in surprise.

"Yep, I'm spreading my business horizons. I'm currently inventing some Cheery Chocolate ice cream too. Perhaps I'll make Super-Strength Strawberry as well, or Vanilla Valentine - a love potion ice cream," George went on with a casual shrug.

"You sure are busy," said Hermione, clearly impressed.

"Well, it was Fred's idea to have ice cream inventions, he thought of that ages ago. So it just made sense to buy the shop," said George cheerfully as he looked down the street at the ice cream shop from the window beside the counter.

"I like the idea, me and Harry loved that shop. But enough of business - you should really visit The Burrow again, everyone's worried about you," Hermione pointed out sincerely.

"I know, I'll stop by sometime next week. I've just needed some alone time to get my head straight," said George calmly. After that they went on to talk more about his shop and how he was coping. They also talked about how Hermione, Harry and Ron - she left Draco out - managed to stay alive during the war and eventually return to defeat Voldemort with the rest of the Order. She also left out the entire 'horcruxes' part of the story, as they hadn't fully decided on who they could tell. Harry had said that there was really no need to go raving about horcruxes, because Voldemort was dead and it didn't matter how or why. What mattered was that they should just move on, and put everything behind them. So instead, Hermione didn't mention horcruxes and just said that they were hiding and staying alive, and planning on how to defeat Voldemort. When she finally left Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, George gave her a box of Cheery Chocolate and a Skiving Snackbox, even though she'd never use it to get out of classes.

\----------

Meanwhile on the other side of town, Draco stood outside the Leaky Cauldron and took a deep breath before entering. Life as an ex-Death Eater had officially began, and he experienced his first taste of what it was going to be like. The moment he stepped into the wizarding pub, a hushed silence spread over the room and all eyes stared at him piercingly. Out in the street nobody seemed to notice him because it was so early, and at the Ministry it was common to see Death Eaters being marched to and from trial. Here however, in an ordinary public place, he was unexpected and obviously unwelcome. He ignored the stares and headed straight to Tom, the landlord.

"I'm here to see my mother," said Draco shortly.

"Ah young Malfoy, of course. Follow me," said Tom hastily, as he lead Draco past the counter and up a flight of stairs to the rented rooms. They walked down to the far end of the corridor, before Tom stopped and indicated to the door beside them. Draco thanked him and he hurried back downstairs either out of fear, or to continue working. Draco didn't care either way, he didn't care about anyone else but himself and his mother at that point. He took another deep breath and knocked on the door hard. In just a few short moments it flew open, and he was staring not up - but down at Narcissa Malfoy. It felt as though he'd grown a few inches since he'd last seen her, even though it had only been four weeks. Or maybe he'd just grown stronger from the war while his mother had grown weaker. Her eyes were the same though - a perfect, sparkling blue colour. Well, they were sparkling from tears, as she sobbed and threw her arms around her son wordlessly. Draco wrapped his arms around her in turn, holding her tightly. Unlike his sixth year when he'd been embarrassed about her hugging him outside the Hogwarts Express, now he didn't care. After everything they'd been through, it was a miracle that they hadn't been killed, sent to Azkaban or separated for some other reason.

"I should have came earlier, I promised myself I would come back for you when I escaped-" began Draco, as he remembered that the last time they'd even seen each other was when he was thrown into the cellar with Hermione. After that, he escaped from the cellar with the other prisoners, and he'd never said goodbye. He'd made a promise to return to Malfoy Manor as soon as possible, to personally save his parents, but complications arose and he was never able to. Narcissa shook her head however.

"No - y-you're alive, you're all that m-matters to me Draco, y-you have no idea h-how worried your f-father and I have b-been," sobbed Narcissa, as she looked up at him but didn't let go.

"How is he? When can I see him?" asked Draco, wishing to be reunited with his father also.

"A m-mess. He's been b-blaming himself f-for everything, he thinks he's been a t-terrible husband and f-father. Azkaban will r-ruin him," Narcissa went on, crying even harder now as she talked about Lucius.

"I want to see him soon," said Draco. It felt like an eternity since he had actually spoken to Lucius in a father-and-son kind of way. Since the second wizarding war began, since Voldemort's return, Lucius had been reluctantly dragged back into the Death Eater circle. After that, all warmness and fatherly guidance were almost forgotten, as the older wizard struggled to obey and follow Voldemort's orders, and keep his wife and son safe at the same time. He'd succeeded too - for a while. Then during Draco's fifth year, Lucius was sent to Azkaban for trying to steal the prophecy for Voldemort. After he escaped Azkaban, he was then punished by Voldemort, and that was the reason Draco was ordered to kill Dumbledore. To either die as Lucius' punishment, or succeed to make up for Lucius' failures. Then Draco also failed to kill Dumbledore, and their entire family was considered a 'disgrace' to the Death Eaters. Seventh year came around and they were practically prisoners in their own home. And all of this happened to them because Lucius joined the Death Eaters at the age of seventeen, when he was Draco's age, many years ago. And now, as Narcissa said, Lucius was blaming himself - which was going to be a very difficult thing to witness. For someone so proud and arrogant to openly admit his failures and blame himself for them, it wasn't easy - Draco knew from experience. He'd had to overcome quite a bit of pride and arrogance in order to say sorry to Hermione, and to admit that he liked her.

"We w-will see him, Draco. But for now, he isn't h-here. You have to help me s-sell things, get some money, fix the house-" Narcissa began, as her crying faded now that she had her son again. She regained her traditionally cold and rather strong voice as she described all the things they had to do.

"Okay, okay, I get the point. Let's get out of this place though," said Draco, looking around the shabby rented room with distaste.

"Our house isn't much better, Draco. It's been d-destroyed after everything that's happened," she said with a sigh.

"When the Order came for You-Know-Who, did you get hurt? What happened-?" asked Draco urgently as he remembered.

"No it was fine. The new Minister for Magic was there, and I didn't draw my wand so they left me. Lucius was stunned, but that's only because he tried to draw his wand to p-protect me - you know how he is," said Narcissa, with a smile as she wiped her eyes. Draco knew exactly how Lucius was - with arrogance and pride, obviously comes protectiveness. He wouldn't let anyone touch his family, or his house or his wealth. Anyone, apart from Voldemort that is. Nobody could exactly resist Voldemort, trying to do so was suicide, so Death Eaters rarely tried. And Lucius was still a Slytherin, so he still had some cowardly attributes and he knew not to disagree with Voldemort. Perhaps it was Lucius' fault that they were in this mess, but it was also thanks to Lucius that his wife and son had come out alive and together. Draco found himself hating, but also respecting his father.

"Enough of me and your father - your trial? How did it go?" asked Narcissa, as she held his arm softly.

"Three years of magical probation, and I have to go to Hogwarts. After that though, I'm cleared of all charges," Draco answered.

"Oh thank god - next year we'll all be together again, once Lucius is out of Azkaban. We'll set things straight, I promise," said Narcissa adamantly. After that they continued talking as Draco helped pack his mothers things so that they could return to Malfoy Manor. He discovered that when he'd left with the other prisoners, both his parents had been tortured and punished for the weeks that he was gone. That explained her exhausted appearance, and it made him hate Voldemort more than he could imagine. He also found out that he was considered a 'traitor' to all of the remaining Death Eaters, and Narcissa said it was lucky that he was going to Hogwarts. Outside in the wizarding world there were still Death Eaters and supporters of Voldemort on the run, and none of them would be happy to see him. At last everything was packed into a small enchanted bag which reminded him of Hermione's bag, so they paid Tom and left the building. Outside in the street as they prepared to apparate, Narcissa turned to him.

"I love you, Draco. You're everything to me," his mother said as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I know," replied Draco, as he was used to his mothers affection. He looked over his shoulder down the street, hoping to see Hermione Granger one last time. He thought he saw a swish of wavy brown hair in amongst the crowd, but it might have just been his imagination. God, he was going to miss her.

\----------

Back at The Burrow, Hermione was having breakfast later on in the morning with everyone else. She couldn't get the image of Narcissa kissing Draco on the cheek before they apparated away out of her mind, however. At Hogwarts everyone had always thought that he was just a heartless Slytherin git, and she herself thought this the most. Of course they always knew that Narcissa sent him sweets and chocolates every day during their first year, but they just thought that it was because he was a spoilt brat. Which was probably true when he was eleven years old. When sixth year started though, and his mother had kissed him before he got onto the Hogwarts Express, it was obvious that she truly loved him more than anything. And when he'd been thrown in the cellar four weeks ago, she'd begged Voldemort for mercy. She'd made the Unbreakable Vow with Snape, so that her son wouldn't have to kill Dumbledore. She'd done so many things for him, wasn't that exactly the same as Harry's mother? Lily died for Harry, and Narcissa would do anything for Draco. It was such a powerful form of love. And Hermione remembered how worried Draco had been for his parents, and how much he missed them when he'd escaped. It was obvious that he would do anything for them too.

Hermione sighed - Slytherin's. On the outside they're so damn cold and heartless, but on the inside they're unexpectedly human. Some of them are even brave. Regulus Black for example, died trying to destroy one of Voldemort's horcruxes. Severus Snape risked his life every single day for over seventeen years to keep Harry safe and defeat Voldemort - even though he hated Harry. So much sacrifice, and yet they were considered to be cowards and gits by everyone else.

"Hermione what are you so quiet for?" asked Harry curiously, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Wha-? Oh, I'm just thinking," said Hermione, as she waved her wand as though it didn't matter.

"You should be celebrating, we're finally rid of Malfoy. Another day of seeing his face and I would've been in St Mungo's," said Ron with a grin.

"I can't believe he's going to Hogwarts," complained Ginny grumpily.

"At least we can get back at him though. I might get a few Ton-Tongue toffees and use one on him, how funny would it look if his tongue was huge like your cousins Harry-?" said Ron, obviously referring to the time when Dudley ate one of the toffees. While he was saying this, Hermione put her fork down on her plate and stood up from the table abruptly.

"Where are you going?" asked Ron in surprise as she turned to leave the kitchen.

"To my room, I'm not hungry," Hermione snapped coldly. When she at last reached her room, she felt like slamming her door closed as hard as she could, but instead she took a deep breath and closed it quietly. This was just the first day of Draco being gone, and already she was sick of how her friends talked about her... other friend. They seemed to forget that she'd helped him with his trial, stuck up for him, and even defended him at times. Didn't they realize that she liked him? But then when she thought about it, no, they probably didn't realize. She didn't exactly make it obvious, her and Draco had been trying to keep it a secret the entire time and it obviously worked. They might have suspected something, but now that he was gone, they presumed that he was gone for good. He wasn't gone for good, however - quite the opposite, actually. Hermione pulled the address of Malfoy Manor from her pocket, as she imagined seeing him again at Hogwarts in two months time.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	28. Chapter 28

Smashed, destroyed and ruined. These were the words that came to mind as Draco finally walked through Malfoy Manor again. Those words could also describe his life to an extent. For the past two days he'd been helping his mother fix and mend all of the broken objects and furniture, clean away all of the rubbish, debris and even blood. The goal was to make the mansion look as good as new again, but it was a massive building and they were still a long way from being finished. As the Manor began to look like it's original state, Draco couldn't help but realise that he would never return to his original state. He would never again be that snide, prejudiced and discriminatory twelve year old pureblood boy. He would return to Hogwarts a profoundly changed seventeen year old wizard.

At Hogwarts, he'd probably still be forced to hide behind a prejudiced pureblood veil to maintain his reputation. Hogwarts was already built, it's history and traditions already in place. Likewise, his reputation was already built, he already had the Dark Mark and he'd already done too many bad things. He found himself dreading the prospect of returning to the castle. The only good thing about Hogwarts that he could think of was being with his Slytherin friends again, and seeing Hermione. As if on cue, he suddenly heard the squawking of an owl approaching from outside. He was incredibly relieved, because he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her for the past two days. His owl had been at Hogwarts, so he wasn't able to send a message, and he didn't want to use the family owl, or Narcissa's owl. It was too risky to use them to send messages to Hermione Granger, a mudblood.

"I'll get it," came his mother's voice from downstairs, obviously meaning the owl. Draco's felt his heart skip a beat.

"NO! Wait, wait!" he called, as he hurried down the stairs.

"What do you mean? It's just a tiny owl," said Narcissa.

"It's private, don't open it!" said Draco as he reached the room downstairs where his mother had opened the window. As Hermione had described, the owl was a tiny fluffy thing and the name 'Pig' was very fitting, as he watched it land on the windowsill clumsily.

"Is it from a girl? Are you already writing to Pansy?" asked Narcissa in surprise.

"No, it's nothing like that," scoffed Draco. It'd been many months since he last saw Pansy, and years since he'd dated her in their third year. While he did want to talk to her, and to his other Slytherin friends, he hadn't gotten around to sending them letters yet.

"Well then I want to read it, it's obviously from someone odd, look at the owl," Narcissa went on in amusement as she reached out and held the fluffy ball of feathers gently.

"Okay fine it's from Pansy, don't open it," snapped Draco as he pretended to be embarrassed. His mother was excellent at spotting lies though, and her eyes narrowed towards him curiously. He knew that he couldn't lie to her. Mothers always knew the truth, and it was even more true when you had a Slytherin witch mother who was experienced in Occlumency and Legilimency.

"Your acting skills need some work Draco, you look rather bizarre," she quipped.

"Accio letter!" Draco hissed impatiently after he'd drawn his wand. The letter soared through the air, and landed directly in his hand. On the front of it was Hermione's beautiful handwriting, in a muggle pen. Thankfully Narcissa hadn't seen the writing or else she would have been even more inclined to read it, as no respectable pureblood acquaintance would write with a cheap muggle ballpoint pen. After he'd caught it and read the front and looked back up, Narcissa was standing there glaring at him.

"What on earth is in that letter?" she asked angrily.

"It's from Pansy. You agreed that you'd never read my letters back in my third year!" said Draco as he stuffed the letter into his pocket hastily.

"I agreed that I'd never read letters that your eagle owl was delivering, because I respect privacy. But a letter from a stranger, from a strange owl, after the war, while our family are labelled as criminals? Some letters are unsafe to read!" argued Narcissa, as she glanced at his pocket suspiciously.

"It's not from a stranger, it's from Pansy. I obviously knew that she was going to owl me today, that's why I came running. She got a new owl," Draco continued lying in determination. It obviously made sense, because why else would he have been so desperate for her not to read it? Even if he was lying, it was obvious that the letter was private. His mother respected privacy, like most Slytherins. After a couple of seconds, Narcissa sighed in defeat.

"Fine. But I don't want to see that owl again. Send my owl to Hogwarts and get Professor McGonagall to send yours back here, and use yours from now on," said Narcissa, despite her curiosity. It was obvious that the letter wasn't from Pansy Parkinson. No high class pureblood family would have such a small and unusual owl. It was the kind of owl that cheaper families would settle for, like the Weasley's, thought Narcissa with distaste. Although she had to admit, Vincent and Gregory were rather stupid, and therefore stupid things amused them. It wouldn't surprise her if this puny owl and letter was just part of some immature joke. Regardless, once she'd said that Draco just nodded quickly and sprinted up the stairs as quickly as he'd come down.

\----------

Upstairs in his room, Draco quietly shut the door, moved to his desk and pulled the envelope out. After re-reading the front a few times to make sure it was real, he opened it and began reading the letter inside.

'Dear Malfoy, (or should I use your first name? Gosh, I've never called you Draco in real life, so I'm not sure?).

How are things at your fancy mansion? Are your parents okay? I wish we could just see each other, that way this wouldn't have to be so formal. I'm honestly not sure what to write about. Well, I'm still living at The Burrow for now because I'm not sure when to go and restore my parents' memories. I'm still worried about it. You're the only person who knows how worried I am, actually. After Fred and Tonks and everyone else passing away, I don't want to go telling Ron or Harry how worried I am for my perfectly alive parents. I'm really lucky compared to them, so I'll just keep it to myself.

Ron was glad to see you gone. He made that rather obvious just ten minutes ago, I'm actually in Ginny's room writing this. They frustrate me so much sometimes, they aren't even acknowledging your help, and Ron can be really hypocritical. I'm just doing my best to ignore them and get this summer over with. I can't wait to be back at Hogwarts.

Let me know how you are!

Hermione.'

Once he'd finished reading the letter he found himself half smirking and half smiling as he searched his room for parchment. He wasn't entirely sure when she'd written the letter, since he had no idea how far away The Burrow was from his house. The owl was so tiny and slow looking, he guessed she'd written and sent the letter about a day or two ago. Of course she was excited to be back at Hogwarts, she was probably studying all of her sixth year work in preparation for their seventh year. After reading her letter and realising that he'd be stuck in this gloomy building for almost two months, he couldn't help but be excited for Hogwarts as well though. He wasn't looking forward to two months of having Narcissa peer over his shoulders trying to figure out who he was sending letters to. When he'd at last found some parchment, he quickly wrote a letter to Hogwarts asking for his eagle owl back. Then he took a deep breath and began writing his response to Hermione.

'To Granger,

I think we should probably avoid first names in these letters, because my mother nearly read your first letter and now she's suspicious about something. (Probably because I Accio'd it out of her hands). And don't send your midget owl (Pig?) again, because she was suspicious of it. He's looks incredibly slow and clumsy. Also try not to write in muggle pens, because my mother will be extremely suspicious if she sees that. As you can probably tell, my mother is going to be a pain in the ass with these letters. My owl has been at Hogwarts but I'm getting it back, so we'll use mine instead. You should go restore your parents memories whenever you feel like it. I've got the same problem, I'm not sure when to go and visit my father in Azkaban... and I don't know what to expect either. You should talk to Potter and Weasley. Your parents losing their memories isn't "lucky" in comparison to anything, in my opinion.

I'm looking forward to Hogwarts as well, because it can't be any worse than here. But at the same time I'm also not looking forward to it, at all, for obvious reasons. Have you started studying any of your sixth year work?

Remember to reply with my eagle owl when it arrives at The Burrow.

Malfoy.'

Once he'd finished both letters he went back downstairs with them. Thankfully Narcissa was not in the kitchen, so he quickly tied his letter to Hermione to Pig's leg, and told the owl to return to her. It fluttered out of the window with an excited hoot, and was out of sight. Next, he went upstairs to the top floor where all of the Malfoy owls were kept in the owlery, and tied his letter to Hogwarts to Narcissa's black owl, asking to send his eagle owl back. Once he'd finished sending both letters, he returned to his room and was once again plunged into the dull boredom of Malfoy Manor. There was nothing to do but talk to Narcissa and clean. He was considering going over to Greg or Vincent's, or Blaise or Pansy's. He knew that it would be strange being around them again however, especially with such a dangerous secret to keep from them.

\----------

Another week had passed in a similar fashion to the first two days. Once Draco's eagle owl had returned home from Hogwarts, their letters became much more frequent because his owl was faster than Pig. Due to the faster owl, he was able to send Hermione letters nearly every day, like he'd promised. Their letters mostly described how their everyday life was, and Hermione soon found out that Draco's was much more quiet and less crazy than hers. While he was stuck at Malfoy Manor with only himself and Narcissa, there was practically nothing to do there. Hermione on the other hand, was stuck at The Burrow with everyone else, and it was rather chaotic. Draco found himself envying all of Hermione's company, while Hermione found herself envying his quiet, rich lifestyle. Hermione would do anything to be able to sit in her room, studying and reading in complete silence for hours on end. At The Burrow, however... that just wasn't possible.

"Hermione!" yelled a voice from outside her and Ginny's room. There were suddenly loud knocks on her door and it opened a second later without her permission. There was hardly any privacy in The Burrow, which made her even more envious of how Draco lived.

"What is it now, Harry? You know that I'm studying!" began Hermione as she looked up from her textbook.

"You've got to come and see-"

"I haven't got time for Quidditch-"

"It's about Hogwarts-"

"What?" Hermione snapped instantly, as she jumped up from her bed. Harry grinned, knowing that Hogwarts would change her mind in a heartbeat. He lead her out into the kitchen where Ron, Ginny and Mrs Weasley were already standing around the kitchen table. It was about lunch time, so the table was also covered in food and Ron had a sandwich in each hand. All eyes were on the Daily Prophet though, as everyone silently read a large article which Hermione assumed was about Hogwarts. Once she'd gotten close enough, she began to read it.

\----------

'Hogwarts - Big Changes

Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry has undergone massive changes since the end of the war just weeks ago. Due to all of the recent tragedies that have taken place, including Death Eater influences, unsatisfactory teachers and education, inter-school rivalry, student and teacher injuries and deaths, change has been inevitable. Over the past seven years life at Hogwarts has been chaotic, but all of this is in the past and now we must focus on the school's future. The new Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, has been at the Wizengamot for the past five days debating how to improve Hogwarts for future generations of students. One of the biggest issues has been the 'Repeat Year' suggestion. This was suggested because many muggle-born students were unable to attend last year, there were Death Eater's teaching subjects incorrectly, and it was a very dark time. The Repeat Year quite simply means that all students repeat last year, so that all students may receive a fresh start. While this sounds like a fantastic idea, it has also been the basis of heavy debate.

"Having a Repeat Year is completely out of the question. If last year's first year students repeat, that means this year's first year students will not be able to attend Hogwarts. It is Hogwarts tradition to have a new generation of students every year, and all children should have an equal chance to learn magic. A Repeat Year is unconstitutional, and I will not allow it," argued Minerva McGonagall, at one such debate in the Wizengamot. No students completed their O.W.L's or N.E.W.T's last year however, and that is why this has been such an important issue. McGonagall believes that all year groups should attend Hogwarts, including a new generation of first years. At the same time, the year group of Harry Potter should return for an 'eighth year', so that they may complete their N.E.W.T's fairly. This means that there will be new first years, a large influx of muggle-born students and a returning eighth year. The result? Hogwarts will have more students than any other wizarding school in history, as it is currently the largest wizarding school in the world.

Unfortunately however, there has been a shortage in teachers and it has been a struggle to find qualified professors willing to teach at Hogwarts. The Muggle Studies position is currently empty, as the previous professor was murdered. The Potions position is currently empty, as the previous professor has retired. The Defence Against the Dark Arts position is currently empty, as there is a long-standing belief that it is cursed, due to nobody lasting more than a year of teaching it. Despite the sudden increase of students and decrease of teachers, shortage of school funds and other negative influences, solutions have at last been found. The changes to Hogwarts will be stated below. These changes have been agreed upon by the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt; the Headmistress of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Minerva McGonagall; the Wizarding Examinations Authority and the majority of the Wizengamot.

\- There will be eight year groups attending Hogwarts, and it is compulsory for all students to attend. More details on eighth year students will be added at a later date.

\- There will be more student roles in the management of Hogwarts. Four Prefects for every House. One Head of House Student, for every House. One Head Boy and Head Girl for the school. More details on these positions will added at a later date.

\- There will be Teaching Traineeship Programs available for seventh and eighth year students wishing to teach at Hogwarts. More details on these positions will be added at a later date.

\- There will be construction changes made to the Hogwarts castle, such as more classrooms, bathrooms and another dormitory. More details on these changes will be added at a later date.

\- There will be changes made to the Rules and Regulations of Hogwarts to improve the quality of learning. More details on these changes will be added at a later date.

Further changes and improvements are being discussed every day, and we are certain that by the end of the summer holidays Hogwarts will be new, improved and ready for a fresh school year.

Griselda Marchbanks, Governor of the Wizarding Examinations Authority.'

\----------

When everyone had finished reading the article, an excited discussion broke out and Hermione couldn't stop thinking about what she'd just read. If her math was correct, four Prefects for every house, a Head of House Student and the Head Boy and Head Girl meant that there would be twenty-two students with significant power in the school. It was clear that extreme measures were being taken to ensure that Hogwarts could cope with the extra students, with the addition of more classrooms, bathrooms and another dormitory. Perhaps all of these changes had to be made in order for Hogwarts to be allowed to open again, because Hermione knew that it had nearly been closed several times in the past. She found herself re-reading the part involving teaching traineeships and she couldn't help but smile. It had always been her dream to teach at Hogwarts, and this was the best opportunity she would ever have.

"When do we get our letters? Do you think one of us will be Head of Gryffindor House? What does that even mean?" asked Ginny in excitement as she turned to the others. Hermione was still staring at the article, as she planned on writing to Draco about it immediately.

"I'm more concerned about which dormitory we'll be in," said Harry worriedly.

"Will we be allowed to play Quidditch if we're eighth years?" asked Ron. The other three immediately got into a heated Quidditch discussion, and Hermione rolled her eyes as she hurried back into her and Ginny's room. After shutting the door and finding parchment, she sat down at her desk and searched for an ink bottle and quill. They'd been sending letters for just over a week now, and they'd come to a few agreements. The agreements were mainly to make sure that Narcissa wouldn't realise the letters were coming from a muggle-born. They included: no muggle pens, no muggle paper, no Pig and no first-names. Despite the fact that Hermione believed they should be able to be friends publicly, for now they were keeping it a secret. Draco was hoping that he wouldn't get caught by Narcissa or have to speak about it until after he'd seen Lucius in Azkaban. If Lucius discovered that his son was being friendly with a pretty muggle-born girl, there would be hell to pay. That was probably one of the few reasons Draco wanted to be at Hogwarts: he wouldn't have to put up with his blood-status fanatic parents. Instead he'd have about a thousand other students to worry about... it was a bad situation, and the only solution was to keep it a secret, from everyone. Hermione returned her thoughts to Hogwarts and the Daily Prophet article she'd just read, and began writing her letter.

'Dear Malfoy,

Have you read the Daily Prophet recently? You have to get the one for today, the third of July. Turn to page four, if you have it. There is a whole section on Hogwarts and what's happening this year! There are going to be more classrooms, another dormitory, Head of House Students and even teaching Traineeships for students who want to teach at Hogwarts next year. I can't believe it. Professor McGonagall has always been my favourite teacher, I always knew that she would make a great Headmistress. I can't wait to find out what the changes are going to be like, and what the Traineeships mean. If you've read the Daily Prophet, let me know what you think.

Oh and I'm going to Australia to restore my parents memories this weekend. Thanks for the advice. Harry and Ron offered to help but I want to do it alone. I purposefully made my parents forget that I existed for almost a year, so I'm not sure what to expect. When are you going to see your father? Hope it goes well.

A month and three weeks to go... I wish time would go faster.

Hermione.'

When she finished, she thought about how she'd go about sending the letter. Sending it was the tricky part, and it had resulted in quite a few sleepless nights for both of them, and a lot of luck. Nobody at The Burrow owned an eagle owl, and everyone knew what Malfoy's owl looked like so it was vitally important to not let anyone see it. The goal from the start was to keep their letters a secret, and this was how Hermione had managed to do so. First of all, Hogwarts and Malfoy Manor both have owleries, and Draco's owl was trained to deliver messages usually to the owleries or topmost buildings, with the exception of feasts in the Great Hall. Since The Burrow had no owlery, Draco's eagle owl kept flying to the top floor and waiting there. This was convenient because Hermione now spent most of her time studying in a spare room at the top floor to get away from all of the noise downstairs. She left the window to the room open and frequently checked it with the excuse of studying, to see if the owl was waiting. It was very risky though, and just two days earlier she'd overheard Harry and Ron complaining about hooting in the middle of the night. So far though, nobody had seen the grey owl slip into the spare room at the top floor, and in a couple of days Hermione would be living in her muggle home again so there wouldn't be any need to hide owls. Once her letter was finished, she folded and tucked it into her pocket, and hurried out of Ginny's room. She knew that the owl was upstairs because she'd received a letter before breakfast that day, and Draco's owl always waited for a reply before leaving.

"There you are Hermione! Who do you think is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts?" asked Ron as she ran past the kitchen.

"I'll be down in a sec, just checking something!" called Hermione, as she went up the stairs as quickly as possible.

"Blimey, she needs to stop studying," Ron continued in exasperation to Harry, who nodded.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	29. Chapter 29

After a few more days at The Burrow Hermione decided to try and restore her parents memories, despite the risks that she had been worrying about. She wanted to do this for a number of reasons, the most important being that she hadn't seen her parents in almost an entire year. Throughout the war she had to live with the realisation that if she died, her parents would continue living in another world without even knowing that she had ever existed. Additionally, she wanted to return to her muggle home where it was quieter and more peaceful, so that she could study and owl Draco without being interrupted every five minutes. Living with her parents would bring back a sense of stability after seven years of chaos at Hogwarts, which she would be returning to for her eighth year. The risks of attempting to restore her parents memories still lingered in the back of Hermione's mind. Specifically, what if she failed and her parents could never remember her? What if she accidentally damaged their memories further?

"I don't know what you're worrying about Hermione. You're a genius, you got top marks in every O.W.L," said Ron, as though he'd read her mind.

"Not Defence Against the Darks!"

"That doesn't matter, you'll be fine. Make sure you owl us afterwards?" asked Harry, as he finished packing the last few books into her small, enchanted bag. Once he'd finished he handed it to Hermione, who smiled.

"I will, and I'll see you at Diagon Alley occasionally too," Hermione promised. Her bag was filled with all of her possessions, so she was completely packed and ready. After saying goodbye to everyone at The Burrow and promising to owl Ginny too, she finally left the large slanted house and walked up to the hill beside it. With one last glance at the place that had become almost like a second home to her, she took a deep breath and disapparated. Her destination was the beautiful Australia.

\----------

Draco was walking down a chillingly cold, narrow black corridor. His destination was cell two hundred and seventy. Beside him walked Narcissa, who was just as nervous as he was. They were going to see Lucius in Azkaban and Draco was not only nervous, but also relieved. Since Hermione was going to see her parents, he thought that it was also time to see his. He wasn't exactly sure what to expect, since his father had already been in Azkaban for over two weeks. Would he still be sane? What would they talk about? It wasn't like they could discuss how their day was, or what their plans for the holidays were. His fathers day was that cell, and his holiday was that cell too. There was nothing positive to discuss. Draco had only been in Azkaban for ten minutes and he was already feeling depressed, and he hadn't even seen any Dementors yet. They apparently removed the Dementors from the area people are visiting, but they never let the prisoners out of their cells.

"Here is cell two hundred and seventy. You have twenty minutes," said the emotionless Azkaban guard. He unlocked the cell door and let Draco and Narcissa enter, before closing it again and leaving. Sitting on the other side of the cell shackled to the wall, was Lucius. Prisoners were always shackled during visits. He looked as though he hadn't had a shower since he arrived, his long dirty blonde hair was rugged and unkempt, he had black bags under his eyes and his face looked gaunt already. Regardless, Narcissa threw herself on him and Lucius wrapped his arms around his wife in turn. They stayed in embrace as Draco watched with a small smile, his thoughts somehow dwelling on Hermione. They snapped back to the present as soon as Lucius looked at him from over his mothers shoulder.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you two. This place is like a nightmare," murmured Lucius, his voice sounding almost haunted.

"They don't let me visit much, they think I'm still on the Death Eaters' side," began Narcissa, as she ranted about the Death Eaters and snatchers who were still on the run. There was a good number of escaped criminals, and that restricted the amount of visits the currently captured ones were allowed.

"Don't worry about me, you take care of yourselves," said Lucius firmly, eyeing Draco as he said this. The hidden message there was, 'Take care of your mother while I'm not around'.

"I'll visit every week when Draco goes to Hogwarts," continued Narcissa.

"You're going to Hogwarts?" asked Lucius in surprise. Draco just nodded.

"Good, you'll be safe there. There are rumours: Amycus and Alecto Carrow are on the run, Dolohov and Greyback too," Lucius began saying.

"We know, their names are all over the Prophet," Draco confirmed.

"And Rowle as well, don't forget Rowle. You tortured him months ago Draco, he may want revenge, the Carrow's may want revenge as well... you have to think about these things," continued Lucius, his face lined with worry. Draco remembered torturing Rowle as if it were yesterday, and it was even in his Ministry trial: he'd used the Cruciatus curse on Thorfinne Rowle and Harry Potter, on separate occasions. He only did it to Rowle because he'd been ordered to by Voldemort, but his father was right. Most Death Eaters were just violent wizards with good memories, and everybody knew that Rowle didn't like being tortured by a Malfoy. What surprised him the most was that Lucius had remembered this, and how he knew about the other Death Eaters who were on the run.

"Lucius are you okay?" asked Narcissa uncertainly.

"No, you have to listen. The people here are mad, all mad, they believe in fairy tales," Lucius hurriedly continued.

"What fairy tales?" asked Narcissa again, a sense of worry in her eyes. Had Lucius already lost his mind?

"They believe that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still alive, the other Death Eaters, here in Azkaban. They say it over and over in their cells, thinking they'll be rescued by the Dark Lord. Some have gone crazy already," Lucius explained darkly, looking half crazy himself.

"But what does this have to do with us?" asked Draco curiously.

"Always think ahead, Draco. There are Death Eaters outside and inside. The Death Eaters outside will never be safe, they'll always be hunted, the only way they can ever be safe is if they have protection, without the Dark Lord the only protection they have left is Bellatrix, Bellatrix and the rest of us, and the Others, locked up in here. If they escape all hell will break lose, they're mad, all mad, some have gone psychotic, but they aren't as dangerous as the Others..." by this point Lucius was practically babbling.

"You think they will attempt to break her out already? And what 'Others'?" asked Narcissa fearfully.

"There is lots you don't know, you need to listen. Azkaban is hundreds of years old, it wasn't built just for Death Eaters or the Dark Lord. It was built for all dark wizards, and there are Others in here, and Bellatrix has been recruiting them, wizards older and more corrupt than the Dark Lord himself, if the rumours are true. Throw a good person in here long enough, and the Dementors will turn them bad. Throw a bad person in here..." Lucius' voice trailed off as he glanced towards the door. He needn't say anymore, Draco could imagine the number of evil wizards that still lived in the old wizard prison. "If Bellatrix is broken out, she'll take them all with her. She'll model herself a Dark Queen with a more powerful, more wicked and less restrained bunch than before. Stay at Hogwarts. Stay at home," Lucius finished, leaning his head back against the stone wall in exhaustion as his eyes closed. A shocked silence followed what he'd said as Draco and Narcissa glanced at one another anxiously.

"But father, she's broken out before, you did too. Only Death Eaters got out then, why would she recruit anyone else?" Draco asked.

"Because she knew the Dark Lord was still alive. She's telling the other Death Eaters that the Dark Lord is waiting for them outside, but I see through her lies. The Dark Lord is gone. She means to replace him. But enough of that... this is my fault that I'm in here. I've made mistakes, I've been a terrible father and husband. Becoming a Death Eater, joining the Dark Lord, dragging you two into this life... all my fault. I've brought you nothing but pain and death..."

"That isn't true, I agreed with everything you did. We're both responsible, Lucius," said Narcissa firmly.

"You only agreed with me because you thought I was protecting us," Lucius argued weakly, his stubbornness showing even whilst shackled in Azkaban.

"You did protect us, Lucius. We are alive, all three of us, aren't we? Can you imagine what would have happened to us if we'd joined Dumbledore instead? Look at the Order of the Phoenix now, half of them are dead or dying, they barely survived the wars," Narcissa said hurriedly as she held his hand.

"I would rather death than another year of this place, Cissy. In a couple of months I'll be as mad as the rest of them," croaked Lucius as his hopeless grey eyes began rapidly filling with tears.

"Don't say that, Lucius. Don't you dare, you're strong and you'll get through this," said Narcissa, gripping his hand.

"I hope you're right, but it doesn't matter anyway. What matters is that you two take care of yourselves. Draco, I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. You're my only son, you're the future of our family. Promise me that you won't follow in my footsteps," said Lucius, his expression conveying the shame and guilt that he felt. Draco was surprised even further by what his father said next.

"Be strong, patient and smart, be the man that I never was," Lucius continued as his eyes closed again from exhaustion, and tears rolled down his cheeks. The two weeks in Azkaban had given Lucius plenty of time to think and reflect on his past, and he appeared to have lost a good deal of happiness already. Although those last few words didn't seem like much, they were the most significant things Draco's father had ever said to him. The way he made his future decisions would be directly affected by these words, and he would never forget them.

"I will."

\----------

Life went back to normal after he'd visited Lucius, except for the fact that he hadn't been owling Hermione for a few days. She was still in Australia with her parents and Draco's owl wouldn't be able to find them, and it would likely take a week before she returned to her muggle home in London. So far it had been just over two weeks since they'd separated, two weeks of letters being sent between them. And when she finally returned to her muggle home, the amount of letters would increase because her muggle parents wouldn't have a problem with his owl around the house. But ever since Narcissa had nearly read Hermione's first letter, she had been suspicious about the whole situation. She'd also made Draco promise that he would use only his own owl to send letters, and she didn't want to see strange owls like Pig again. Unfortunately for both of them, Hermione sent a letter using Pig because it was urgent and she couldn't use Draco's owl. In an attempt to protect him from whoever it was sending him letters every day, his mother had taken and read the new letter that Pig had during the night. The next morning when Draco saw the tiny owl and realised what had happened, things got out of hand.

"I've read the letter, I know you're not sending them to Pansy!" argued Narcissa furiously.

"'Hermione' is one of Pansy's code-names, in case the letter got intercepted," Draco lied.

"So Pansy sends you letters about her muggle parents and her excitement to return to Hogwarts? I know who this girl is, she's Potter's little mudblood friend, you complained about her for years. Do you honestly think I'm so stupid, Draco?" asked Narcissa.

"I honestly think that you're an untrustworthy hypocrite. Give me my letter!" Draco demanded. The letter was obviously about Hermione's parents, and he didn't know whether she'd successfully restored their memories or not. This only made him want to read it even more, and he was extremely frustrated when he realised that his mother had read one of Hermione's most important letters without giving it to him.

"How dare you! Sending letters to a mudblood behind my back, and having the nerve to insult me!" screeched Narcissa in outrage.

"Maybe if you hadn't read the letter that you promised not to touch in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation!" spat Draco as he glared at her.

"Maybe if you hadn't been sending letters to a filthy mudblood for the past two weeks, we wouldn't be having this conversation. We don't socialise with people like them, don't try to blame me for this!" snapped Narcissa.

"You don't socialise with them. I had to put up with them for four weeks - six years, actually - so I think I know them a bit better than you."

"So you're defending them?" asked Narcissa exasperatedly.

"No, I'm just saying that not all of them are as bad as you say they are," Draco argued, not wanting to reveal his feelings for Hermione. He hated arguing with either of his parents, or any other Slytherin's, because they all had a way of twisting words and statements to their advantage, and they all had a way of figuring out the truth.

"Of course they're not bad. They're witches and wizards too, but they're lower class blood traitors and mudbl-"

"Yes I've heard it all before, you don't have to lecture me about that crap again," said Draco irritably.

"'That crap' just so happens to be centuries of our families tradition, and it's thanks to our tradition that you're in a wealthy, upper-class pureblood family with everything you want," snapped Narcissa.

"Everything I want? Give me the letter you read and get out of my room then," said Draco, knowing that it would frustrate her.

"You're not sending letters to this little mudblood ever again," said Narcissa.

"Stop using that word," said Draco angrily. There was a short pause as Narcissa blinked in surprise at what he'd said, and he immediately regretted it.

"For a while I thought you were just sending letters to her because she'd helped you with your trial, and maybe the four weeks with them had changed your mind a bit. But you actually like this girl, don't you?" asked Narcissa incredulously.

"I don't like her. I've been bullying her since our first year, I made her life hell when we were little, all because of the lies you told me. And now I've realised that she wasn't that bad all along..." began Draco in frustration.

"And there's no need to be guilty for it, Draco. You don't owe them anything, the war is over and we're moving on. You're not going to contact her anymore," said Narcissa firmly.

"I'm going to do whatever I want," said Draco with equal firmness.

"Not in this house."

"At Hogwarts, then."

"And what do you think your father would do, if he found out? He's already under enough stress in Azkaban. If you don't follow the families traditions, you won't be part of the family. By the time you get out of Hogwarts, Lucius will be out of Azkaban. He'll disown you, and you'll be out on the streets with nothing. Is sending letters to a mudblood worth all this trouble?" asked Narcissa in exasperation. There was a long silence as Draco glared at his mother and thought about this. She was right of course, and he was slowly but surely being cornered. His family was all that he had left, he had nowhere else to live and no other source of money to survive on. Choosing Hermione over his family would also cause him to lose his Slytherin friends, and the only person he'd have left would be Hermione, because none of her relatives or friends would ever accept him. Once again he had the depressing idea that perhaps being friends with a muggle-born was just bizarre and unrealistic. Choosing her would mean to give up everything else, and he couldn't do that. He didn't reply, so Narcissa continued.

"You might not realise it now Draco, but I'm doing this for your own benefit, because I love you and I want our family to stay together. Lucius and I have always wanted the best for you," she went on.

"And your idea of what's best for me is your idea, not mine. I'm sick of all your lies, traditions and prejudices. Just get out," said Draco coldly, letting his anger get the better of him. Narcissa looked stricken at hearing his words.

"You'll thank me when you're older," she said quietly, before leaving the room. When Draco was at last left alone he fell back into a chair and took a deep breath, as he thought about what had just happened. He knew why Narcissa didn't want him socialising with a muggle-born, and he understood why she was trying to prevent him from doing so. Obviously it was because of the prejudices, blood-status and social-status beliefs that she and Lucius had, but it was also more than that. If he actually did fall in love with, and marry a mudblood, that would tear his entire family apart. Lucius would turn against Draco and disown him for it. Narcissa would turn against Lucius out of love for her son, and that could possibly lead to divorce. He would lose all of his friends, and Hermione would most likely lose all of her friends too. In a way, choosing Hermione over everything else was just selfish, and too many relationships would be ruined. He pictured Narcissa's stricken expression after what he'd said just moments ago, and felt a tug of guilt. In a way, not contacting Hermione would make it easier on both of them and their families and friends, perhaps it was for the best. At least for now. And besides, he didn't want to make life worse for Lucius, who still had another year of Azkaban to suffer through. He had an entire year of Hogwarts ahead of him in which he could see Hermione anyway, and Slytherin's were known to achieve their goals by any means necessary. He would just have to be patient.

\----------

When Hermione arrived in Australia, she was just outside a dentist facility. Months earlier when herself, Ron and Harry set out to find and destroy all of the horcruxes, they had to leave their previous lives and families behind. For Harry this was easy, since he didn't have any parents or siblings. For Ron it was rather easy as well, since they pretended that the Weasley's family ghoul was actually Ron with Spattergroit, a highly infectious disease which caused Ministry officials and Death Eaters to think he was seriously ill. For Hermione however, it was a very difficult process. To make sure that her muggle parents were safe and unharmed, she had to modify their memories, causing them to forget that they ever had a daughter and to think they lived in Australia, as far away from danger as possible. She took a deep breath and walked into the building. After speaking to the receptionist and asking for Dr Wilkins, the fake name she'd given them, she waited anxiously.

"Hello, how can I help you?" asked a pleasant voice a few minutes later, and Hermione turned to face her father. The big difference to the last time she'd seen him, was that he didn't recognise her at all this time, which was extremely odd to her.

"Uh hi, my name is Hermione. Can we talk in private?" asked Hermione, forcing her voice to remain calm.

"Of course, we can talk in my office. Lovely name by the way," her father went on cheerfully, completely oblivious to the fact that he was talking to his own daughter. It was an awkward and strange event for Hermione, but in the end it all went fine, just like Draco, Harry and Ron had all promised. She managed to restore her fathers memory first, and then her mothers. The only side effect that occurred was probably enhanced memory, because everything that they'd forgotten was brought back vividly with magic, causing them to recall many old memories. The realisation that their daughter had wiped their memories was quite hard to take at first, but after she'd explained to them why she had to do it, they accepted it. Even though they were muggles, they still knew everything about the wizarding world, including Voldemort and the war. It made sense for her to hide them to keep them safe. As soon as she'd restored their memories, she sent a letter to Draco telling him how it went, with Pig of course, since Draco's owl was nowhere in sight. She also helped her parents pack and get ready to return home to London. Her parents had been living in another country for a year, so they had an entire house worth of possessions to pack and Hermione also wanted to travel by plane, something that she hadn't done since she was little. Because of all this the process took a few days and when she was at last back in her muggle home, she was surprised to find a letter from Draco waiting for her.

'Dear Hermione

This is my last letter to you. Narcissa read the last letter you sent, and she's made it very clear that if I continue to contact you I'll be disowned. I've thought about it for a while now... in fact, I've been thinking about this before we even admitted our feelings for each other. Being friends with you would only cause problems, not just for me, but for you as well. I would lose my family and my friends and they're all I have left at the moment. Even though I hate Pothead and Weasel, they're still your best friends and I don't want you to lose them because of me. There are too many issues to consider, and I'm just trying to do the right thing for once. This isn't the end of the world because we'll both be at Hogwarts soon anyway, even if we won't be able to talk.

Don't reply to this letter.

Malfoy.'

\----------

Being in her muggle home gradually became boring and depressing for Hermione, as she re-read the letter she'd received. How could he do this to her? After all they'd been through, after she'd saved his life, helped him, stood up for him, admitted her feelings for him, hugged him, kissed him. After everything that had happened, they go their separate ways and then he leaves her a letter blatantly saying that being friends with her is too hard and that he wasn't going to contact her ever again. Perhaps Slytherin's were just a bunch of cold, heartless cowards. She found herself hating him more and more with every passing day, but having nothing to do about it. Even though he had reasons for sending the letter, and he obviously couldn't abandon his family for her, she still felt betrayed and hurt. The only thing that helped was seeing Harry, Ron and Ginny. They usually met up at Diagon Alley to hang out every couple of days, but even her best friends had noticed that she was upset about something, though they couldn't figure it out.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	30. Chapter 30

Life for Hermione was more dull than ever, and not even studying could improve it. Being in her muggle home was comforting for the first week, but then her parents returned to work and she was left studying and doing nothing else. Thankfully she could apparate though, and this gave her the ability to visit The Burrow within seconds, whenever she wanted to, which was becoming a habit. Even though she wasn't living at The Burrow, she spent most of her time there during the day. And Harry was still living with the Weasley's, since he didn't have to return to the Dursley's anymore now that Voldemort was gone. So Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were still spending plenty of time together, both at The Burrow and in Diagon Alley. This helped Hermione take her mind of off one particular Slytherin, although every time she walked past Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour she couldn't help but be reminded of him. She had decided to simply block out all thoughts to do with him, because she was still angry with him and there was nothing else that she could do about it.

Suddenly she realised that she was thinking about Draco again, and sighed in annoyance as she put her textbook down and left her bedroom. From the kitchen there was the familiar sound of an owl hooting, and Hermione made her way towards the owl curiously. Why would Harry or Ron owl her, if they could just apparate here? Or perhaps it was Draco... 'No, it isn't him and it never will be, stop thinking about it!', Hermione thought to herself in frustration. When she finally entered the kitchen, she saw the Hogwarts crest was on the envelope which the owl was holding. Her heart skipped a beat from the shock of receiving her Hogwarts letter, which looked identical to the first one she'd gotten seven years ago. Nothing else mattered in that moment, as she quickly made her way over to the owl and took the envelope. The first thing she noticed was the weight and feel: it was heavy, and there were at least two badges inside, and a few sheets of paper. When she opened the envelope and let the contents fall out onto the kitchen table, six objects appeared: a Head Girl badge, a red and gold badge with a lion and the words 'Gryffindor' engraved on it, a list of required books and equipment, her official Hogwarts letter and two other sheets of paper. After inspecting the beautiful Gryffindor badge curiously, she quickly began reading her letter.

'HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Miss Granger,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This unique letter has only been sent to your year group, who will be formally referred to as 'Eighth Years'. Although you are older than the rest of the students, you are really an addition to the seventh year group, and so you have the same privileges and responsibilities as them. This is because you will be learning the same subjects, completing the same assignments and doing the same N.E.W.T examinations as your seventh year peers. Therefore there have been some changes made to make this year comfortable and fair for everyone. Please read the following information, as it is vital for all eighth years to understand:

\- You have a separate carriage on the Hogwarts Express, which was added this year to provide more room on the train. It is exclusive to eighth years, prefects, staff and teachers only.

\- You will have a separate dormitory from the rest of the school, and you will be given further instructions about this on the Hogwarts Express.

\- You may be learning the same content as the seventh year group, but you will not share classes with them. The eighth year class is separate and exclusive.

\- You are allowed to visit Hogsmeade any weekend. This is a privilege, and rule-breaking may result in you being banned from Hogsmeade.

\- You are allowed to play Quidditch, despite being older than the other students. This is a privilege, and rule-breaking may result in you being banned from Quidditch.

You will receive all of the information that you need to know, including details on the Teaching Traineeship Program, on the Hogwarts Express, so please make sure that you get on the right carriage. Please find the enclosed list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on the first of September.

Yours sincerely,

Pomona Sprout  
Deputy Headmistress'

\----------

Hermione was so excited that she could barely even contain it. She was grinning uncontrollably as she looked over and picked up the shiny Head Girl badge. Her badge. Ever since her first year she had always dreamed of being Head Girl, and ever since the start of the war she had longed to return to Hogwarts again. And now, at last, she was the Head Girl of Hogwarts. Apparently she was also the Head of Gryffindor house as well, because of the other badge that she'd received. She remembered reading in the Daily Prophet weeks ago that there would be Head of House students, so that must have been what the Gryffindor badge signified. After reading the letter and the list of books and equipment, she then picked up the other two pieces of paper and began reading them.

'Dear Miss Granger,

Congratulations on becoming Head Girl! I'm sure that you already know all about this after being at Hogwarts for so long, so there is no need to explain the role in this letter. However, on the Hogwarts Express a teacher will explain to you all of your duties, responsibilities and privileges. You will be able to begin your role as Head Girl the moment you arrive at Hogwarts. You will find your Head Girl badge enclosed in this envelope.

Details on Head of House Students will also be explained on the Hogwarts Express.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall  
Headmistress'

And the second letter took her completely by surprise.

'Dear Miss Granger,

As you may already know, there will be Teaching Traineeship Programs available to seventh and eighth year Hogwarts students wishing to become professors. These programs are designed to give talented young witches and wizards the experience and qualifications required to pursue careers in teaching and education. These programs are not to be taken lightly however, as they will involve many months of hard work, exceptional N.E.W.T grades and unwavering commitment. Despite being a fast-tracked course, it will still take students two years to receive their full qualifications as professors in their chosen subject. Therefore it is vitally important to think long and hard before accepting this course.

There are three subjects available for student trainee positions: Transfiguration, Potions and Herbology. The Hogwarts Board of Governors and professors have selected three of Hogwarts' most talented students for a trainee position in each subject, and you are one of them. Please remember that this is only an offer, and we understand if you decline. However, we urge you to consider this great opportunity.

You have been offered the Transfiguration Traineeship position. Your mentor would be Professor McGonagall, the current Transfiguration professor.

Please send your reply to the Hogwarts Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, either accepting or declining the position. You will meet the other trainees and receive more information on the Hogwarts Express, if you accept.

Yours sincerely,  
Hogwarts Board of Governers'

\----------

After reading all of the letters again and inspecting her badges for a few more moments, Hermione quickly put them all back into the envelope and prepared to apparate to The Burrow. The Hogwarts owl entered the kitchen and made itself at home, as it was trained to not leave until it was given a reply, so hopefully it would still be there when she returned. When she was ready, she left the house and turned on the spot, feeling the familiar and odd sensation of apparition. Moments later she landed on the hillside near The Burrow, and was scorched by the midday sun. It was always sunnier at The Burrow than her muggle home, which was probably another thing that helped improve her mood. As she made her way towards the slanted house, she began thinking long and hard about the trainee offer. Although it was a big decision, she had always wanted to be a teacher. And Transfiguration was her favourite subject, after all. And Professor McGonagall was also her favourite teacher. And it was the perfect opportunity. And she loved everything about Hogwarts. What more could she ask for?

"Hermione! Have you got your letter?" called a voice in excitement, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh hey Ginny, and yeah that's why I came over. You guys have to see this," said Hermione hurriedly as she went inside and found Harry and Ron at the kitchen table, reading their own letters.

"Look at your envelope, how many badges did they give you? A hundred?" scoffed Ron when he saw her.

"Two, actually," said Hermione in satisfaction.

"No way, you're Head Girl and Head of Gryffindor?" asked Ginny incredulously, as Hermione showed them her badges.

"Good work Hermione! We always knew you would be Head Girl," said Harry, but he seemed more interested in the Gryffindor badge because he picked it up and looked closely at the small lion and engraved words in admiration.

"Hermione you can give detentions to anyone you want now, anyone! This is brilliant, we can finally get back at Crabbe and Goyle!"

"No Ron, I'm going to be responsible," Hermione disagreed, although she couldn't help but smile a bit. Every Slytherin would think twice before calling her a mudblood ever again, and now she would be able to actually stop insults and bullying in the corridors. That definitely felt good.

"Don't you want to get back at them? Think about how much of a git Malfoy's been!" said Ron, oblivious to the fact that she had actually kissed Draco only weeks previously.

"If they do anything wrong, I'll give them detentions. If they leave me alone, I'll leave them alone. And Malfoy didn't want to do all of the things he did, he had no choice, how many times do I have to tell you Ron?" said Hermione in exasperation.

"He still did them, though. And he bullied you when we were little, that was all his choice."

"I'm not going to argue, what's done is done, you just need to let go of the past."

"But I'm right!"

"No, you're really not!" Hermione snapped, making her frustration clear. There was silence after that as Harry and Ginny looked back and forth between them in surprise.

"Fine. We'll see who's right at Hogwarts, won't we? After all, we're sharing dormitories with them. I bet you anything they'll be the same nasty gits that they've always been," said Ron firmly, sounding absolutely certain that he was right.

"If they're nasty then I'll give them detentions. Happy?"

"Yep."

"Good. But forget about Slytherin's, look at this and let me know what you think," said Hermione nervously, as she pulled out her Teaching Traineeship offer and showed it to them. As the other three read the letter, Hermione took a deep breath and thought about the little argument that had just taken place. It was considered little because she had been arguing with Ron ever since their first year, over a million petty things. They argued even more when Malfoy was around because she'd befriended him, and even after the war they're still arguing over the same issues. Ron had always been protective of her, and it was obvious that he liked her, but his hate for Slytherin's, and her recent... friendship with a Slytherin, just complicated matters between them. And when she asked Harry why Ron hated Slytherin's so much, this was Harry's reply: 'Ron probably hates Slytherin's because they bullied you, Hermione. I hate them too, you know I can still remember you crying the first time Malfoy called you a mudblood? Me and Ron don't forget that kind of stuff, we'll never forget it. Ron's your best friend, he likes you, and he wants to stick up for you and get back at them. It's normal.'

This explanation definitely helped her understand things better, and she was once again very thankful to have Harry as a close friend. She never knew that Ron could seem so complicated. From her perspective, Ron was very simple and sometimes even stupid, and she'd even said to him, 'you have the emotional range of a teaspoon'. And now she felt rather bad for saying all of those things because Ron really was an amazing friend, even if he did have frustrating ways of showing it. She knew that she would have to keep him in line when they got to Hogwarts, because he was right: they were sharing a dormitory with the other houses, including Slytherin. They hadn't been told what the dormitory looked like, but she guessed that they would be in close proximity with Slytherin's, all hours of the day. And to be honest, she couldn't decide whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Wow, are you going to do it?" asked Ron when he'd finished reading. A moment later the other two finished and looked up at Hermione, who bit her lip nervously.

"I don't know. Well, this is everything I want... I've always wanted to teach and I love being at Hogwarts. So I want to do it, but it's a big decision. I'll talk to my parents tonight before sending a reply," said Hermione uncertainly.

"We're going to be famous Quidditch players-"

"Or Aurors-"

"Or both," said Harry and Ron, in a very similar fashion to how Fred and George used to finish each other's sentences.

"Well, you'll have to get good marks in Potions and Charms, and I won't be helping you with essays this year," said Hermione firmly.

"Who cares about grades? We're famous war heroes!" said Ron, causing the other three to roll their eyes tiredly. He'd been going on and on about being famous ever since a photo of the three of them appeared in the Daily Prophet. While they were being celebrated as war heroes, nobody knew about the horcruxes yet. The horcruxes was still being kept a secret, and as far as Hermione was aware, only she, Harry, Ron and Draco knew about them. Whether Snape knew of them, and whether Snape's memories revealed them to Kingsley and the other Ministry Officials, was a mystery to her. Regardless, the four students had agreed to never tell anyone else about the horcruxes. Although Ron had made it very clear that they couldn't trust Malfoy, and that they should kill him before he told any Death Eaters how to make horcruxes, which started yet another heated argument.

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'Dear Mister Malfoy,

You have been offered the the Potions Traineeship position. Your mentor would be Professor Snape, the current Potions Master.'

He re-read the words again and again, shock etched into his expression. He was sitting at the kitchen table, and standing behind him were Narcissa and Snape. They'd already read all of his letters and discussed everything, and they'd left it up to Draco to decide. Narcissa didn't approve of him becoming a teacher. She wanted her son to become a powerful and wealthy man like his father had been, and like all Malfoy's should be. Pureblood and upper-class, rich and powerful, arrogant and proud. That was honestly how Draco saw his family, and he knew that his mother wanted him to be more like Lucius, because Lucius was all of those things. And being rich and powerful obviously made life easier. Therefore, Malfoy's simply didn't become professors. They became politicians, Governors, important Ministry officials, businessmen and/or very intelligent criminals.

Snape on the other hand, approved. He had been visiting Malfoy Manor a few times over the summer holidays like he'd promised, and so far Draco was enjoying the Potion Masters company. Snape had always favoured Draco in class, given him the best of everything, and helped him in Potions more than anyone else. Likewise, Draco's favourite teacher was Snape and his favourite subject was Potions, and it was the subject that he performed best in. He'd almost killed Ron Weasley with his very own poisoned mead, which he was meant to give Dumbledore, and that could be another reason for Ron secretly hating Draco. Regardless, one of the reasons Snape wanted Draco to become a professor, at least for the next two years, was because of the escaped Death Eaters who were still dangerous. Like Lucius said, the Death Eaters would most likely attempt an Azkaban breakout, and they'd be recruiting as many people as possible. Anyone who betrayed the Death Eaters or didn't join them, would be killed.

"For example, you and myself," Snape explained. Narcissa's eyes widened at hearing this.

"Y-you can't be serious? He's only seventeen, he's going to school! They wouldn't hurt him."

"He made it possible to break into Hogwarts, something that even Dumbledore thought was impossible. Even when he was sixteen, he was a capable and intelligent Death Eater. They will either recruit him, or kill him for leaving them. They will try and kill me for betraying the Dark Lord," said Snape firmly, although he emphasised 'try' in amusement. While Snape clearly thought of himself as a wise Slytherin and an exceptional duellist, Draco wasn't so confident. If Death Eaters wanted to kill him, they would probably succeed eventually.

"There are Death Eaters on the run who may want to kill us, father said to stay at Hogwarts and at home, Snape says to stay at Hogwarts, it makes sense," said Draco, when he looked up from the letter at last.

"But is it what you want? To be stuck in that castle for the rest of your life?" asked Narcissa.

"It won't be for the rest of my life, I can quit whenever I want," Draco began in amusement.

"But is it what you want?" asked Narcissa again.

"I don't know. But I guess I'll find out, won't I?" said Draco, as he reluctantly decided to accept the position. There were a number of reasons for him to accept it, the most obvious reason being that he would be safe at Hogwarts from any escaped Death Eaters. He was also taking Lucius' advice, he was being strong and smart, and he wasn't following in his fathers footsteps. He was making his own decision for once. But above all else, the biggest reason was a surprise even to himself. He knew that Hermione Granger would become a teacher at Hogwarts. She'd never actually told him that she wanted to be a teacher, but he could easily imagine her teaching little first year kids how to cast 'Wingardium Leviosa', as strange as that sounds. Why was this important? Well, if he became a Potions professor and he got disowned for doing anything that his parents didn't like, such as admitting his feelings for a mudblood, at least he'd have somewhere to live, and a job to survive on. So while it was to ensure his immediate safety, it was also a backup plan.

He couldn't believe that he was secretly plotting such things. He couldn't believe that he was deciding to become a Hogwarts Potions Master, which felt like signing his own death warrant. Since he was a former Death Eater, other students and teachers alike would despise him no matter what. He looked down at the letter and picked up the badge beside it: a silver and green badge, with a fierce serpent hissing and the word 'Slytherin' engraved on it. He was the Head of Slytherin house though, so at least he had some things to look forward to at Hogwarts.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	31. Chapter 31

Diagon Alley was packed to its limits, and that was an understatement. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione were hurrying through the crowded streets as they began buying everything they'd need for the school year at Hogwarts. In the past this was a stressful and difficult time for the Weasley's due to their lack of money, but this year it was easy. Since Kingsley was the Minister for Magic, Mr Weasley had been promoted weeks ago to a much better job and their family had received a bonus, as did many other families who had lost loved ones in the recent weeks leading up to Voldemort's death. With the extra money and better pay, they were finally able to buy everything that they needed. Harry also bought himself a new owl, but this one was as black as night, the opposite of his old snowy owl. Throughout the day they went from shop to shop buying new robes, quills, ink bottles, books, parchment, potion ingredients, cauldrons and many other magical objects that were on their list. Ron was also dying to enter Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes and buy a nice pile of prank objects, but Hermione refused to let him.

"I'm Head Girl now Ron, it's my responsibility to stop people from using prank objects," Hermione was arguing as the four of them walked down the main street, while Mr and Mrs Weasley were getting something to eat.

"But we're eighth years, we can do whatever we want!" groaned Ron stubbornly.

"You have the same privileges as seventh years, didn't you read the letter?" asked Hermione in annoyance.

"What about back when we were little, you always helped us break the rules," Ron continued.

"I only helped you break the rules so that we could save a hippogriff, or make Polyjuice Potion!"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Ron.

"But we were doing the right thing at the time. Buying Ton-Tongue Toffees and Whiz-Bangs aren't going to help anyone," said Hermione firmly, as they stopped outside a broomstick shop. All thought of arguing with his best friend about prank objects vanished as Ron followed Harry into the shop and began looking at the newest and fastest racing brooms. Hermione rolled her eyes and stayed outside with Ginny, as they talked about the new Hogwarts teachers who would surely be on the Hogwarts Express. There was also a chance that Snape may not be teaching in the future, since there was going to be a Potions Trainee... and the same was for Transfiguration and Herbology. And also Defence Against the Dark Arts, as everyone knew about the so called 'curse' that was on the job. As they talked about new teachers, Hermione found herself getting more and more excited with the idea of becoming a teacher. In a year, new students might be calling her the Transfiguration Professor. It was strange to imagine.

"I hope that the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is actually good this year, though. Another Umbridge would be horr-" Hermione suddenly stopped mid-sentence as she stared across the street. She'd glimpsed a flash of short blonde hair, and surely enough a second or two later she saw Draco Malfoy walking along the other side of the narrow street. By his facial expression, he seemed rather frustrated about something too.

"Hermione? What are you looking at?" asked Ginny curiously, as she followed her friends line of sight.

"Oh, nothing, I just thought I saw something," said Hermione hurriedly.

"Well, enough of teachers. Who do you think the Head Boy will be?" asked Ginny in excitement. That was an excellent question, and one that Hermione had been pondering over ever since she'd gotten her Head Girl badge. It was most likely going to be someone from Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw though, because she couldn't imagine a Slytherin being chosen after what had happened in the past couple of years.

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Bloody brilliant. So far he'd been to the Apothecary where they sell potion ingredients, and the cauldron shop, and Flourish and Blotts to get his school books, and every shop had refused to sell him anything, since he used to be a Death Eater. Narcissa was currently at Gringotts taking out some money so that she could go shopping for new furniture for the Manor, so he had to get all of his Hogwarts stuff by himself. He'd gone to the potion ingredients and cauldron shops first because he needed extra, being the Potions trainee. The fact that he couldn't buy anything at all was frustrating, and he silently fumed as he made his way towards Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions, to buy his new school robes. As he entered the shop, thinking about how he would manage to get his other items, he saw his saviour.

"Draco!" squealed the girls voice in excitement. She was currently standing in the middle of the shop, and Madam Malkin was measuring her waist and fitting her new robes.

"Pansy," replied Draco with a smile. Despite the fact that Pansy Parkinson could be extremely annoying and clingy, she was still his old girlfriend. And she was a Slytherin, and all Slytherin's looked out for each other. He'd been owling Pansy and a few other Slytherin's for about a week, and they'd all set a date to get their stuff at Diagon Alley. She totally forgot about the shop owner measuring her waist and gave Draco a tight hug.

"Calm down, I've been owling you for a week now," said Draco in amusement as he hugged her back.

"Yeah but I haven't seen you in like a year! And you became a Death Eater, and probably saw heaps of gross stuff, and your family betrayed You-Know-Who, and you had to go to a Ministry trial, I know all about it because it's been in the Daily Prophet, like every day..."

"Okay Pansy I know what's happened to me, you don't have to repeat it all," snapped Draco, causing the brunette Slytherin girl to flinch slightly.

"I'm just trying to help," she said with a hurt expression. He was used to her hurt expressions and fake crying, most of the time it was just acting to have her way. One thing was for sure, Slytherin's could be excellent actors.

"I know, but I don't want to talk about all of that," said Draco firmly.

"Was it really bad? Want to talk about it?"

"Yes it was bad, no, I just said I didn't."

"But we always talked about everything."

"Do you two want your school robes or not?" asked Madam Malkin in bewilderment.

"Yes," said Draco quickly, feeling slightly relieved that at least Madam Malkin wouldn't reject him for being a former Death Eater. He stood back as Pansy continued to be measured and fitted with her school robes, but that didn't stop her from continuing the conversation.

"So, what was it like? Being a You-Know-What?"

"I'm not talking about it here, Pansy."

"Why not? You're not one anymore, so you can tell me about it."

"It's none of your business, that's why."

"None of my business? I was your girlfriend!"

"That was back in third year!" said Draco in exasperation.

"So what, you don't like me anymore?"

"Of course I like you, but I've agreed to be the Potions trainee and I need good N.E.W.T marks, I'll be busy all year."

"Oh really? So you're going to be all responsible this year? That's new," said Pansy with a laugh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Draco in annoyance.

"In your sixth year you didn't care about school at all. You never studied with me, you were always avoiding everyone, I swear you were up to something..."

"Look, Pansy, I really don't want to talk about the last two years of my life, at all. A lot of shit happened and none of it was good," Draco trailed off uncomfortably, hoping that she would get the hint.

"Oh," said Pansy softly as she noticed his expression. She'd never seen him look so serious and upset about something. After a short pause she continued, "Sorry Draco, you're right. I'm just curious, and I only want to understand more."

"It's fine, how are you? What was Hogwarts like being a seventh year?" asked Draco quickly, changing the subject to her. She got the hint and began talking about Hogwarts with Snape as Headmaster and the Carrow's as teachers, and how they learned the Dark Arts and she could practically do whatever she wanted. She didn't care that Madam Malkin was right there beside them, and continued talking about how good it was to be able to give Gryffindor's detentions for no reason. That was one of the things with Pansy, she said whatever she wanted and she didn't care who heard it. She was loud, sometimes bitchy and she always spoke her mind. This was a good thing if you were her friend, she was always honest and reliable. If she liked you she wouldn't be shy about it, she would walk right up to you and say, 'I like you', which was what happened during their third year. If you needed help studying, she would help no matter what. But if you weren't her friend, well... that's where the loud, bitchy and mean side comes in.

"Finally, come on lets go, I'm buying a new owl, my first one Sprinkles died over the summer, can you believe it? I cried for weeks," Pansy was saying as they left the shop twenty minutes later, with all of their new school robes.

"I can't get the rest of my stuff. Some of the shop owners don't want to sell anything to former Death Eaters," said Draco awkwardly. Pansy stopped walking and turned to face him in surprise.

"Oh, do you want me to buy them for you?" she asked quickly.

"You don't have to, but..."

"Of course I do Draco, we're best friends and we look out for each other," said Pansy firmly.

"Thanks, Pansy. Really," said Draco, causing her to smile at him pleasantly. There was a brief moment of understanding as they made eye contact, but it was over when they began walking again. He couldn't help but feel a little content at that moment, being with this particular Slytherin girl. She was his best friend. They'd been best friends since their first year, and in a relationship in their third year. In some ways he was even closer to Pansy than Harry and Ron were close to Hermione. And sure, he was ridiculously infatuated with Hermione Granger, but he was still close to Pansy, and that wouldn't change. The only problem was his secrets. The other Slytherin students had no idea that he was a Death Eater during his sixth year, or what he'd done. They didn't know what it was like being a Death Eater, either: they probably still thought that it was something to be proud of. And most importantly, they didn't know that he had spent four weeks with the Order of the Phoenix, and they didn't know how intimate he'd been with a Gryffindor mudblood.

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After getting everything that they needed from Diagon Alley, time went incredibly fast. The days passed and before they knew it, it was the first of September and they were on their way to platform nine and three quarters for the last time ever. It was the last time for Hermione, Harry and Ron, and it was also the last time for Ginny, since she was in her seventh year. And it was every other eighth year and seventh year student's last year as well. So it was a pretty big deal, and even though Hermione was probably going to return to Hogwarts as a teacher afterwards, she would never run through the magical wall with her trolley, and she would never board the Hogwarts Express as a student again. She promised herself that she wouldn't forget all of these fond memories, as they pushed their trolley's amongst all of the Hogwarts students towards the massive, long red train ahead of them.

"Come on, our carriage is at the back," said Harry, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts.

"See you three at the feast," said Ginny with a grin, as she pushed her trolley over to a group of seventh years. Harry, Ron and Hermione moved through the sea of students to the back of the train, looking around for the 'eighth year' carriage that had been added.

"Eighth years this way!" called the unforgettable voice of Filch, the caretaker. He looked incredibly out of place standing beside the Hogwarts Express without his infamous cat, and many of the younger students were laughing as they walked passed him. All of the eighth year students followed him down the platform to the very end of the train, where a brand new carriage had been added. Looking around, Hermione could see familiar faces from every house in her grade. The same students from her first year, all returned for their eighth and final one. At the same time, she was looking around to find out who the Head Boy was, but she couldn't see the Head Boy badge anywhere.

"The seats at the back are for professors only, no pushing!" Filch was saying in a scowling manner, as the students got onto the train. Harry, Ron and Hermione were some of the first people to walk into the new carriage and they noticed that it was similar to the their sixth year carriage. The compartments didn't have doors and only had room for four people, and the corridor was much wider. There was much more room, and they guessed that this was so that Professor McGonagall could speak to them separately before they all arrived at Hogwarts. As they looked for seats, they saw Neville sitting by himself and quickly joined him to fill up their four seated compartment.

"Hey, long time no see!" said Neville with a grin, bringing up an instant conversation. As the three boys talked about their summers, however, Hermione found herself looking at every person entering the carriage. After a few people had walked in, she saw the Head Boy: Ernie Macmillan, a Hufflepuff. He was wearing the shiny Head Boy badge, and also a black and yellow badge with a badger, and 'Hufflepuff' engraved on it. Ernie, like herself, had been made Head of his house and also Head Boy. He nodded as he walked past her, and she nodded back with a smile. She'd never known him very well, but he was a prefect and he'd always been a stellar student. At least a Slytherin like Blaise Zabini wasn't chosen, she thought in relief. Then she saw Draco enter, wearing the silver and green badge with a fearsome snake, and 'Slytherin' engraved on it. Behind him came Pansy, Crabbe, Goyle and Blaise, and then every other Slytherin as well. His popularity hadn't changed, Hermione thought to herself as he walked past. They made eye contact for a split second, and she could tell that he wanted to talk to her, but then he ignored her completely and kept walking. In his Slytherin clothing, with his Slytherin gang and his arrogant expression, he looked as though he'd never changed and never spent four weeks with her. 'God, he's good at acting,' Hermione thought to herself in admiration.

"See his badge? I can't believe Professor McGonagall made that git Head of Slytherin," said Ron coldly, as he turned around in his seat to glare at Draco from across the corridor. Draco glared back with equal dislike, before turning to talk to Pansy.

"Stop glaring, Ron. Lets just start this year in peace," said Hermione in annoyance.

"I doubt there's going to be any peace with him around, Hermione. Slytherin's are always like that," said Neville with a shrug.

"You don't know until you try," Hermione replied, as she continued looking at all the students entering. She didn't want to argue with Neville though, since Neville had no idea what had happened between Draco and them. Ron did know what had happened though, and Ron knew that Draco had helped them. And yet he was still acting like Draco was the bad guy, which Hermione was finding more and more frustrating. The last few students entered the train, including Parvati Patil and her twin Padma, who was wearing a blue and bronze badge, with a beautiful eagle and 'Ravenclaw' engraved on it. When everyone had finally got in and sat down, the train began moving.

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"Everyone come a little closer!" called Professor McGonagall, twenty minutes later. All the eighth year students were crowded around in the compartments and the corridor, to have the year group meeting. Harry, Ron and Seamus Finnigan were talking about the Gryffindor Quidditch team and how they were going to win this year; while Hermione, Neville, Parvati and Padma had moved closer to Professor McGonagall.

"Good. Now, I've gotten you all here on the train so that I can tell you where your dormitory is, and no, it is not near the Great Hall or the Gryffindor towers, Mister Finnigan; and also other important information that you need to know, before we get to Hogwarts," began Professor McGonagall. A few people groaned when they heard that the dormitory wouldn't be near the Great Hall or the towers.

"Aren't you meant to be at Hogwarts right now, professor?" someone asked curiously.

"Professor Sprout, Snape and Flitwick, and others are taking care of the feast instead," answered the Headmistress. After answering a few more questions, she began talking formally again.

"First of all, you are the only students allowed to visit Hogsmeade at any weekend, however, this is a privilege!" said Professor McGonagall sternly, as everyone cheered, "and I can easily take away that privilege if you break any rules. Also, you are allowed to play Quidditch this year despite your age differences. However, any rule-breaking, and that includes foul play on the Quidditch pitch, and you will be banned. I'm looking particularly at all of you: Potter, Weasley, Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini. Play fairly this year or don't play at all."

There were a few laughs from around the carriage, as everyone knew that this year would be no different from any other. The competition between Gryffindor and Slytherin was always taken seriously, perhaps even more so this year because of their age and experience, and the fact that it was their last chance to win the Quidditch Cup. While some of the non-Quidditch players laughed at the names that were called, Harry, Ron, Draco and Blaise Zabini were not laughing at all. Their expressions were cold as they scowled at each other, and both sides were determined to graduate Hogwarts with the Quidditch Cup.

"There are four new classrooms, and all of the older bathrooms have been improved,including the girls bathroom on the second floor. Your classes will be separate from the seventh years, but you will sit exams at the same time to prevent cheating," said Professor McGonagall, causing a few Slytherin's to groan audibly. If seventh and eighth years did the same exams, and seventh years did it first, it would be easy for them to tell their eighth year friends what the questions were. Hermione was surprised that the Slytherin's had already thought of this before they'd even arrived at Hogwarts, and she noticed Crabbe and Goyle looked particularly devastated. They may not be academically smart, but they weren't completely dumb, she realised in amusement.

"Your dormitory is located in the dungeons, this is because there is plenty of room in the dungeons and it was the only place we could fit another full sized dormitory," began Professor McGonagall. She ignored the shouts of outrage that was coming from the Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw's, as both houses were used to having their dormitories up in towers with a lovely view, and had always thought that the Slytherin dormitory would be depressing and cold. And now they were about to experience a year of something similar to Slytherin. The Hufflepuff's didn't seem to care as long as they were together, and for some strange reason, some Slytherin's were also outraged.

"There's no way I'm sleeping in the dungeons!" shouted Ron.

"Us Slytherin's have been down there for seven years, and to be honest I was looking forward to sleeping somewhere warmer and more comfortable, this is so UNFAIR!" screamed Pansy even louder than Ron, surprising everyone around her.

"I thought you liked your common room?" asked Parvati in surprise.

"No, we don't like sleeping under a lake, you idiot," said Pansy as insultingly as possible.

"You belong under a lake, Parkinson," said Ron, getting a few snickers from around the room.

"Shut up Weasley," snapped Draco defensively. The fast replies and insults were suddenly coming out of nowhere from everyone, as though the year group had been waiting all summer to get back at each other. And then Hermione realised: everyone had been waiting all summer to get back at each other. Last year Snape was Headmaster, the Carrow's were teachers and the Slytherin's were in control. The rest of the school suffered unfairly, were treated poorly and some students even had the Cruciatus curse used on them by Carrow's and Slytherin's alike. No criminal charges were issued to any students (apart from Draco, he noted bitterly). The detentions were outright torture, apparently. And now, months later, everyone was back again in an equal environment and the tension was incredibly high. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco didn't truly understand what happened the year before, since they weren't there. Their school mates hadn't forgotten anything, though.

"You Slytherin's deserve to stay in the dungeons after what happened last year!" said Neville angrily.

"The Carrow's were the ones in charge Longbottom, not us! I don't see why you're complaining," said Blaise Zabini.

"And you supported them, in the Dark Arts classes you used the Cruciatus curse on Gryffindor's," called Seamus.

"Me and Blaise didn't use Crucio on anyone, stop assuming that we're some sort of evil gits," said Theodore Nott, who was usually quiet but everyone knew he was pretty smart.

"You are evil even if you didn't use Crucio on us, because you just stood back and watched while the Carrow's did it," said Parvati.

"What did you expect us to do, fight against Death Eaters? That's suicide, sorry we aren't as brave as you Gryffindor's," said Theodore with heavy sarcasm and contempt, as he glared at Parvati.

"All Slytherin's are the same in my opinion, just like all muggle-borns are the same in yours," said Ron, getting nods of agreement from almost everyone else in the carriage. Pansy and Blaise looked ready to shout arguments back at him, but everyone was immediately silenced by Professor McGonagall.

"That is enough! All of you be quiet! I have never seen a year group filled with such stereotypes and hate. I understand that there has always been a traditional rivalry between all of your houses, but this is going too far. I understand that the events of last year, perhaps the events of the last seven years, may still be affecting some of you, but Alecto and Amycus Carrow are long gone and we need to move on as a school, not a battleground," said Professor McGonagall, effectively silencing everyone in the carriage. After a few moments, she continued.

"This entire year group will be sharing a dormitory, and it will be in the dungeons. You will have a large common room, and four separate House rooms. Each House room will have a boys sleeping chamber and a girls sleeping chamber, and a bathroom. It will be decorated appropriately: if you're in Gryffindor, your House room will be red and gold, Slytherin's House room is silver and green, and so on. The common room is for all of you, and therefore it is decorated in gold and bronze, with a large fireplace. It is welcoming, bright and warm enough, I assure you," said Professor McGonagall firmly. This didn't change anyones mind on anything, though. Almost every student was unhappy about something at that point, whether it be their dormitory being in the dungeons, their hatred for Slytherin and what had happened the previous year, the heated argument that had just taken place, or the realisation that they would have to live with Slytherin's for the next year. Or from the Slytherin's perspective, everyone else hated them just for being Slytherin, they were being forced to live in the dungeons for the eighth year in a row, and they just realised they'd be living with and outnumbered by people who hate them. It was unpleasant for everyone, and it was only the beginning.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	32. Chapter 32

Tensions were running high as Professor McGonagall continued talking about their dormitory, the subjects they could choose that year, their N.E.W.T's, Hogsmeade, Quidditch and a whole range of other topics. When she was at last finished, everyone returned to their seats complaining and talking about how they would survive the following year in a combined eighth year dungeon dormitory. Before Hermione could sit down however, Professor McGonagall called over the Head Boy and Girl, all Heads of Houses and the Teaching trainees. A few students stood up from every house and made their way to the back of the train carriage where the professors were. To Hermione's surprise, Neville had followed her.

"Neville, are you...?" she began curiously.

"I'm teaching Herbology," he answered proudly.

"Why didn't you say so? I'm doing Transfiguration!" said Hermione in excitement, but then she remembered that she hadn't mentioned it either. She looked around for whoever the Potions trainee could be, but then realised that perhaps nobody had accepted the position.

"Okay, is everyone here? Miss Granger is Gryffindor's Head of House, Macmillan is Hufflepuff's, Patil is Ravenclaw's and Malfoy is Slytherin's. As you four know, there has traditionally been Head of House professors, but this year the staff will be busier than usual so you will be assisting. After the Start of Term feast you will lead your first years to their dormitory, and explain to your house that you are the Head of House. This means whenever students have problems, need help, are being bullied, or have any other issues, they go to you, and you handle the problem," explained McGonagall.

"What if we need to give some kid a detention," asked Draco quickly. The others rolled their eyes at him.

"Then you go to Professor Snape, he is still the Head of Slytherin. You can't give detentions, only professors can."

"What if it's a student from another house causing problems?" asked Ernie, looking pointedly at Draco, who glared back at him.

"You handle minor problems within your own houses. You ask professors for help with big problems with other houses. I'm warning you now, however, that if I hear any reports of inter-house bullying or violence, the students responsible will be severely punished," said Professor McGonagall in that strict voice which told them that she was being deadly serious.

"I've been teaching at Hogwarts for over twenty years, and the past seven years have been the worst in terms of bullying, injuries and deaths, by far. Starting from this year, things are going to change, understood?" asked Professor McGonagall. The students nodded, Hermione looking the most eager.

"Good. The Head Boy and Girl are in charge of the prefects, you organise rosters for people to patrol the corridors at night and do other duties, you are the only students with the ability to hand out detentions, and you help us professors with any other jobs we assign to you," explained Professor McGonagall very briefly, as she assumed Hermione and Ernie already knew what to do. They were the brightest students in the school, and both of them had wanted to be Heads since their first year.

"Remember to have a prefect meeting after the feast tonight and begin organising, I'll leave it up to you two. Now, I'd like a few words with the Teaching trainees," finished Professor McGonagall. As all of the other students got up and returned to their friends on the other side of the carriage, Hermione and Draco stared at each other in surprise. Neville remained seated as well, and he looked at the two of them curiously.

"Now, you three will be working very closely with the current professors and each other. You won't be teaching straight away, instead you will be doing lots of assistant work, extra study and exams throughout the year. By the end of this year, you will be teaching first, second and third year classes in your chosen subject. To be allowed to teach, you have to achieve exceptional results in an advanced Ministry examination..."

"You didn't put all this in the letter, what a surprise," Draco cut in sarcastically.

"The letter said we'd get more information on the train, don't be so rude," said Hermione in annoyance. She made eye contact with him again, and he seemed rather amused at her reaction.

"If this is all too much for you to handle, mister Malfoy, you can quit at any time," said Professor McGonagall, watching him.

"Whatever."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"No, I'm not a quitter," snapped Draco in annoyance.

"Good. You will have an in-depth exam including first, second and third year content from your chosen subject, if you get good enough results you will be allowed to teach first, second and third year subjects. For the first few weeks you will be supervised by a professor until you're ready to teach on your own. I will be the Transfiguration mentor and supervisor, Professor Sprout will be the Herbology mentor and supervisor, and Professor Snape will be the Potions mentor and supervisor. You will begin the program next monday, with your professor. Any questions?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"When we're teaching the first, second and third years, do we have to give out homework and assignments?" asked Draco.

"Mister Malfoy, you will be teaching them, no one else. You will teach them, give them homework, mark their homework, help them with their homework, give them assignments, mark their assignments, help them study for exams..."

"Shit..." groaned Draco slowly, putting his face in his hands dramatically.

"In Herbology, will I do practical lessons in the Greenhouses?" asked Neville in excitement.

"Of course, you plan all of your own lessons how you see fit."

"What if some first year spills potion on someone else and screws up, can I give him a detention?" asked Draco next. Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"You are responsible for any accidents in your class. If a student spills potion, you will clean it up and take him or her to the hospital wing. Yes, you can give detentions but only for valid reasons. I hope these questions are serious, Malfoy," said Professor McGonagall.

"How many lessons a week do we teach?" asked Hermione this time.

"Remember that you won't be teaching your own lessons until later on in the year. You will only be required to teach two lessons per week, as teaching experience which is necessary to complete the program. You will have free periods however, and you can teach during any free period, if your subject professor lets you. Your N.E.W.T's are more important than teaching experience though, so I advise that you only teach two lessons a week and spend the rest of your time studying," said Professor McGonagall.

"And when we've completed our N.E.W.T exams, we can teach as much as we want until the end of the year?" asked Hermione in excitement.

"Yes."

"Brilliant, can't wait," drawled Draco sarcastically. Hermione shot him an angry look, and he smirked back in amusement. She could tell that he was interrupting constantly to get her attention, and it was definitely working. The questions continued for quite some time: Hermione was asking relevant questions to do with their responsibility and N.E.W.T's, Neville was asking relevant questions to do with lesson planning and student safety, and Draco was asking irrelevant questions to do with random Potions situations and what he could give students detentions for. It was overall an informative and amusing discussion, and even Hermione found herself reluctantly smiling at the stupid things he could come up with.

"Are we replacing you?" came Draco's one and only serious question, surprising them slightly.

"Yes, however we're all staying at Hogwarts. I am retiring from my teaching position to continue as Headmistress, just like Dumbledore did. Professor Sprout is retiring so that she can be Deputy Headmistress and handle other administrative responsibilities. And when Malfoy becomes the Potions Master at the end of next year, Professor Snape will become the permanent Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," explained Professor McGonagall.

"Who is teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts until then?" asked Hermione.

"I can't tell you, but I'm sure you'll all recognise him at the feast in a few hours," said Professor McGonagall with a smile.

\----------

The rest of the train ride was pleasant, despite the fact that everyone was still upset about where they would be sleeping for the next year. Pansy Parkinson had continued to whine and complain very loudly about it, which only seemed to annoy everyone else even more. Most of the Gryffindor's were crowded together as they explained to Harry, Ron and Hermione what it was like being at Hogwarts with the Carrow's. They already had an idea since Ginny had told them about it over the summer, but hearing it from everyone else made it even more shocking. Neville had apparently been somewhat of a leader for students who were resisting the Carrow's, and many students had stayed in the Room of Requirements for weeks before Hogwarts was closed early. While the others discussed this with a few Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's, Hermione sensed that someone was watching her. When she turned around in her seat she made eye contact with Draco. As she looked at him he looked away, and glanced back again. Then Pansy followed his line of sight towards her, and she turned back to the Gryffindor's. It all happened in a few seconds, but she had a feeling that the subtle glances weren't going to stop any time soon.

"When you think about it, they've been nothing but gits to us for years now," Ron said, referring to the Slytherin's.

"You got that right," agreed Seamus.

"I wish we were sleeping somewhere better."

"What do you think Hermione?" asked Neville, as though the smartest girl he knew would have the answers to all their problems.

"Well, we're sleeping in the dungeons with the Slytherin's and each other, nothing can change that. I think that we should just stop worrying about it," said Hermione uncertainly, as she didn't know what kind of reaction that would bring out from the rest of them.

"Stop worrying about it? When you study you complain that it's too noisy in the Gryffindor common room with your friends, Hermione, imagine a four-Housed common room with shouting and fights and bitchy Slytherin girls and depressing cold stone walls," began Parvati, causing Hermione to cringe slightly as she realised what her friends were talking about.

"Okay, I get what you mean, but still, why worry about something we can't change?" asked Hermione with a shrug. This was a philosophy Hermione had been living by ever since she was called a mudblood back in her second year. Why worry about her blood status when she couldn't change it? It wasn't her fault and there was nothing she could do about it, anyway. She knew that this would become one of Draco's philosophy's too, because he was now labelled as a Death Eater to every witch and wizard in the world. Just like how she'd been bullied and insulted for years, now it was his turn.

"We can change it, though. We'll just say that no Slytherin's are allowed in the common room," said Ron firmly.

"Don't be ridiculous Ron, Professor McGonagall would never allow it," said Hermione with a roll of her eyes.

"Well she shouldn't have put us in the same dormitory as them!" he growled in frustration.

"If you ignore them, they'll ignore you. It's really simple Ron, I don't know why this year is any different from any other year," said Hermione.

"This year is different because it's our turn to start running things," urged Ron.

"And we're sharing a dormitory with them, Hermione," said Neville.

"And one of them is a Death Eater, that changes everything too," Parvati went on as she looked pointedly over at Draco.

"He was a Death Eater, but not any more. I don't see why that matters," said Hermione steadily.

"He scares me, I mean, do you think he's killed anyone...?"

"They wouldn't let a convicted murderer into Hogwarts, so he obviously hasn't," continued Hermione, as she concentrated on keeping her voice calm.

"I guess you're right, but still..." said Parvati nervously, as she glanced over at the Slytherin's again. Hermione felt a sudden surge of anger jolt through her, but she couldn't figure out why. As the others began talking about the so called 'Death Eater' with Parvati, she found herself getting more and more upset about it. Perhaps it was just because she liked him, but it was more than that, they were all labelling him and judging him for what he was. Just like the Slytherin's all labelled her and judged her unfairly for what she was. It felt like her own friends were acting more like the Slytherin's. It just wasn't right, even if Draco did deserve it. She saw that Harry was looking at her, and he must have noticed her discomfort with everyone talking about Draco like he was a criminal.

"Anyway, what about the new teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts? Who do you think it is?" he said, effectively changing the subject. Harry was the only person who had witnessed them being close at The Burrow, so he must have known that she was still on friendly terms with Draco. Well, she wasn't friends with him since his parents had forbidden friendship with mudbloods, and he'd said he couldn't contact her any more. While he had plenty of valid reasons for doing it, she still hated him for it. And while she had plenty of valid reasons for hating him, she still liked him at the same time. She glanced over her shoulder and caught him staring again.

It was going to be a long train ride.

\----------

Why was he staring at Hermione? For a number of reasons. The most important one was that he found her incredibly attractive, and he was reminded of the four weeks with her every time he saw her. Even though those four weeks included him being sent to trial and watching his father get sent to Azkaban, they also included the war ending and Voldemort's death. And they included hours upon hours of being with her and getting to know her, which he couldn't stop thinking about. The other reason was the fact that everyone else was staring at him. They'd all read the Daily Prophet and the word must have already spread that he'd been a Death Eater for more than a year. He was keeping his eyes on his friends and Hermione, and doing his best to ignore everyone else.

"So are you going to give out some detentions this year?" asked Blaise with a grin.

"No," answered Draco as he gazed out the window.

"What do you mean? You're Head of Slytherin!" said Pansy.

"McGonagall said only professors can give detentions," Draco shrugged.

"Oh, that sucks. I'd just love to see that mudblood in detention..." Pansy purred as she looked pointedly at Hermione on the other side of the train. Draco felt a sudden jolt of anger as he looked at the Slytherin girl beside him, but he forced himself to remain calm. He'd spent six years insulting Granger, he could keep doing it. And he had to keep doing it, because there was nothing else he could do about it. He could get up and leave, but there was no other compartment that would accept him. He could tell Pansy not to ever use the word 'mudblood' again, but that would ruin his entire reputation. The only way to remain popular among Slytherin's and keep his friends, was to keep his old reputation.

"Yeah, she'd look good scrubbing the floors without magic," smirked Draco casually.

"It'd suit her too," agreed Blaise.

"She'd look 'good'? What do you mean by that?" snapped Pansy. Draco cursed himself silently as he thought of an answer.

"You know what I mean, on the floor without magic, where she belongs," said Draco indifferently.

"Well I dunno, ever since the Yule Ball she's been looking pretty fine to me," said Blaise, knowing that it would frustrate Pansy.

"Shut up Blaise. That little bookworm has never looked good," said Pansy snappily. Draco remained silent and pretended to be interested in something outside the train window, as the other two continued their discussion. There was a war raging inside his head as he glanced back over at Hermione for a few seconds, before staring out the window again. How could he keep this up for an entire year? He hadn't even stepped foot in Hogwarts yet, and he'd already insulted her behind her back. Acting or not, insulting a girl that you really like isn't easy. But it wasn't like he much of a choice, and besides, she probably hated him now anyway, because of the letter he'd sent. After the meeting with McGonagall, it was obvious that she was angry with him.

"I don't care about the mudblood, it's Weasley that I want to see in detention," Theodore Nott put in.

"Did you know that they're dating? The mudblood and him?" said Pansy in amusement.

"They aren't dating. And forget detentions, I'd rather see Weasley dead," said Draco coldly, as he continued to look out the window. He smirked darkly as he said this. As long as he could change the subject to Potter and Weasley, he'd have no problem being a Slytherin git for a year.

"How do you know they're not dating?" asked Pansy curiously.

"It's obvious, isn't it? No one would want to date a mudblood like her," scoffed Blaise. Draco had a sudden urge to say, 'I would', but he kept quiet and just smirked casually like he normally would. The conversations started getting more serious as they got closer to Hogwarts, as Pansy once again voiced her complaints about sleeping in the dungeons. Most of the other Slytherin's agreed with her, but Draco didn't really care where he slept, as long as he was in the same dormitory as Hermione it didn't matter. Crabbe and Goyle barely spoke at all, because they spent practically the entire time eating and following the trolley lady for more. While Blaise and Pansy constantly talked, Nott eventually got a book out and started reading. Draco continued looking out the window, joining the conversation whenever they asked a question and appearing bored in general. He was mostly planning when and how he could talk to Hermione in private, because he was dying to talk to her already.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	33. Chapter 33

The new and mysterious Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was revealed the moment everyone entered the Great Hall: Remus Lupin. Practically every sixth, seventh and eighth year student cheered when they saw him, because he'd taught them when they were in their first, second and third years. They all knew that he was one of the best Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts in a long time. As everyone settled into their seats for the Start of Term feast, their was a buzz of conversation as younger students asked older students who the new teacher was.

"Trust me, there's no better teacher than Lupin, he actually brings dangerous creatures into the classroom," Ron was saying to a group of second year Gryffindor's.

"And teaches you real defensive spells and lets you practice hands-on," Harry added enthusiastically. Hermione smiled at them as a little army of Gryffindor's surrounded them and asked them questions. That was the famous Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, The Chosen One, and the one who defeated Voldemort once and for all. He was rich and famous, half-blood, an eighth year, Gryffindor's Quidditch Captain and Seeker, all the teachers loved him - except Snape - and he'd helped Gryffindor win the Quidditch Cup and House Cup countless times. It was the first time he'd returned to Hogwarts in over a year, so yes, there was a significant amount of students following him everywhere. Ron was quite well known now too, since he'd become a decent Keeper for Gryffindor, and a picture of all three of them had been put in the Daily Prophet over the summer. And Hermione? Well, she was still just Hermione Granger, that bushy-haired best friend of Harry Potter. She didn't receive much attention, but she liked it more that way.

She glanced over at the Hufflepuff table where Ernie Macmillan was being slapped on the back for becoming Head Boy, it was rare that Hufflepuff ever got anything important, so when they did, they loved to celebrate. And on the other side of the Great Hall was the Slytherin table, and Draco was surrounded by his own little army of Slytherin's just like Harry. His popularity hadn't much changed at all, if anything, it'd improved. He was rich, powerful, dangerous, pureblood, an eighth year, Head of Slytherin, Slytherin's Quidditch Captain and Seeker, and he looked strangely attractive in his Slytherin robes, a feature that Hermione had never noticed before.

"Here come the first years," said Ginny in a sing-song voice as a line of kids nervously walked into the Great Hall. Hermione tore her eyes away from the Slytherin table and looked towards the front. Along the staff table were all of the ordinary teachers, and Lupin was sitting beside Snape and Hagrid. The three of them seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, though Snape hadn't changed, he looked just as bored and cold as he always did.

"I feel sorry for them, I was terrified when I got sorted," said Neville as he watched.

"I already knew I was going to be in Gryffindor, I mean, look at my hair," said Ron with a shrug.

"You reckon Snape will make those Wolfsbane potions for Lupin again?" asked Harry curiously.

"I hope so. And if they get along this year, they might actually make a good team," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"Doubt it. Nobody can 'get along' with Snape," said Harry.

"Well they have to, I mean, Lupin needs Snape's potions and Snape wants Lupin's job," Hermione explained, but before they could talk any further everyone went quiet as the Sorting Hat was placed on the wooden stool, to begin his song. There were over a thousand students in the Great Hall, it was brightly lit with torches and the roof was the familiar enchanted night sky, with floating candles above their heads. Despite how bright, energetic and loud the hall was moments ago, everyone was silent as they awaited the song.

"In times of old, when I was new,  
And Hogwarts barely started,  
The founders of our noble school  
Thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal,  
They had the selfsame yearning  
To make the world's best magic school  
And pass along their learning.

"Together we will build and teach"  
The four good friends decided,  
And never did they dream that they  
Could some day be divided.

You could never find friends anywhere,  
Like Slytherin and Gryffindor  
Unless it was the second pair  
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,

So how could it have gone so wrong?  
How could such friendships fail?  
Why, I was there, so I can tell  
The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, "We'll teach only those  
Whose ancestry's purest."  
Said Ravenclaw, "We'll teach those whose  
Intelligence is surest."

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those  
With brave deeds to their name."  
Said Hufflepuff, "I'll teach the lot  
And treat them just the same."

So Hogwarts worked in harmony  
For several happy years,  
But then discord crept among us  
Feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four  
Had once held up our school  
Now turned upon each other and  
Divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school  
Must meet an early end,  
What with duelling and with fighting  
And the clash of friend on friend.

And at last there came a morning  
When old Slytherin departed  
And though the fighting then died out  
He left us quite downhearted.

And never since the Founders Four  
Were whittled down to three  
Have the Houses been united  
As they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here  
And you all know the score:  
I sort you into Houses  
Because that is what I'm for.

But this year I'll go further,  
Listen closely to my song:  
Though condemned I am to divide you  
Still I worry that it's wrong,

Though I must fulfil my duty  
And must sort you every year  
Still I wonder whether sorting  
May cause hatred and even fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,  
The warning history shows,  
For our Hogwarts is still in danger  
From external, deadly foes,

Our Hogwarts is still divided,  
Just look around this Great Hall,  
This year must bring about change  
Or the castle will surely fall.

We must unite despite our differences,  
Or we'll crumble from within  
I have told you, I have warned you...  
Now let the Sorting begin."

When the Sorting Hat finally finished, everyone was silent for a few seconds as they let the words sink in.

"Another warning? That's odd," said Ron thoughtfully.

"'Our Hogwarts is still in danger, from external deadly foes...' the hat said the same thing in our fifth year. But Voldemort is dead. Who else is out there?" asked Harry quietly.

"I would say it was speaking about the Death Eaters on the run, but... I'm more worried about the lines before that, Harry," Hermione replied.

"What d'you mean?" he asked.

"I'll tell you later, the Sorting is about to start," said Hermione.

"There's no way I'm uniting with Slytherins, no matter what some old hat says," said Ron firmly.

"You got that right," Seamus sniggered.

"Maybe the hat was warning us about you, Ron," said Hermione.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"SLYTHERIN!" roared the first Sorting, and everyone looked over as a tiny black haired girl skipped over to the Slytherin table to whistles and cheers.

"Aww, she's adorable. I hope we get one like her," said Lavender Brown as the little girl sat with some Slytherin second years.

"Adorable now, but in a few years she'll probably be a murderer," said Ron in amusement.

"Ron that's enough," snapped Hermione.

"What? I'm just saying what everyone's thinking."

"If I hear you insult anyone from any house without a proper reason I'll put you in detention. And I don't care what everyone thinks," said Hermione furiously.

"RAVENCLAW!" came the next sorting.

"What's gotten into you?" Ron demanded as soon as the cheering stopped.

"Me? You think I'm the problem?" asked Hermione exasperatedly.

"Yes I do!"

"I'm not the one being a prejudiced git, you are! Did you even listen to a word McGonagall said on the train?" Hermione asked, knowing that he wouldn't have an answer.

"So what if I am being prejudiced, they deserve it! They've been prejudiced for years for absolutely no reason, so don't call me the problem!" shouted Ron. Thankfully not many people heard him, because everyone was cheering for a first year who'd just been sorted into Hufflepuff. Hermione shook her head and looked away furiously, deciding to ignore him. It was amazing how much she could truly hate Ron Weasley sometimes, and it often came in phases. During their first year he was a huge git to her because she had no friends, during their fourth year he was a huge git to her because she went with Viktor Krum to the Yule Ball, during their seventh year on the run he was a huge git when he walked out on Harry and herself. Yes, Ron had a tendency to be a huge git if he wanted to. And this year was no different from all of the others, apart from the fact that Hermione had feelings for one of the people that Ron fundamentally hated.

"Give it a break, guys," said Harry uneasily.

"Slytherins are bad people. We have never liked them. That is the truth, and it's never going to change," said Ron, as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. Hermione hoped that more people would disagree with him, but nobody did. The rest of Gryffindor agreed with him, in fact, the rest of the school apart from Slytherin agreed with him. Just like the Sorting Hat said, ever since the four founders became three, Hogwarts had never been united as it was meant to be.

"Fine, nobody likes them and they're a group of gits, they always have been. But I came here to study and get good marks, not fight with their house for another year," said Hermione.

"You don't have to fight, we can do that," said Ron with a shrug.

"This isn't a bloody battlefield, Ron, it's a school! If you start fights with them, they'll hate us!"

"They already hate us!"

"Well if you left them alone, maybe they wouldn't be such jerks."

"They're already jerks too!" cried Ron in exasperation.

"Oh my god, you're so frustrating!" said Hermione as loudly as possible without yelling.

"Will you two just be quiet? Half the table can hear you," Harry said, getting annoyed. After that they were generally silent as they watched the sorting unhappily. The more Hermione thought about it, the more she began to doubt herself too. Ron had a pretty good point, and what if she was wrong? What if she was only acting like this because she liked Draco? Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle, Blaise, Millicent Bulstrode, the lot of them were snide and mean, and they were only the eighth years. The younger Slytherin's were often even worse. The chance of 'unity' ever occurring was practically impossible with the general attitudes of the students. But the Sorting Hat was never wrong as far as Hermione was aware, and it's words were still echoing in the back of her mind. There wasn't much time to think about it though, because the Sorting was soon over and after Professor McGonagall said a few words, the Start-of-Term feast began. All of their golden plates filled with delicious food in an instant, and Ron stuffed a piece of chicken in his mouth ravenously like he always did.

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"Now, I'd like to say a few announcements before we all head off to bed," began Professor McGonagall once everyone had finished eating. Crabbe and Goyle were still going, of course, and they were completely oblivious to everything around them as they ate.

"To all of our first year students, welcome to Hogwarts! And to all older students, welcome back. As you all know, Hogwarts has been through some serious events in the last few years, and it is important that we acknowledge these events and move on. Lord Voldemort is dead, his followers are in Azkaban and they will never return. All of their ideas and beliefs are gone with them, and so we are starting this year on a clean slate. I urge all of you to look to the future, and forget the past," said McGonagall.

"And now, our announcements. As you may have noticed, we have two new professors joining our staff this year. Please welcome back Professor Lupin, who will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. And welcome Professor Barbage, who will be teaching Muggle Studies," said McGonagall, and she was replied with cheers from most of the students. The Slytherin's didn't really care either way.

"Wasn't Barbage killed last year? Who is that?" asked Ron curiously. The new Muggle Studies teacher was much younger, and much more beautiful. She was in her early twenties, short, with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

"She was, that must be her younger sister. Elizabeth Barbage, I think her name is," said Hermione thoughtfully.

"How do you know?" asked Ron in surprise.

"I did Muggle Studies in our third year, remember? Professor Barbage told us about her family," she explained.

"And with our new staff members, we also have some new student roles. This year we will be having Head of House students, to assist the staff in administrative roles. These students will be your house leaders and representatives. They will solve any problems that you have, give you guidance and advice, and hand out minor punishments for rule breaking. I would like to ask our four Head of House students to stand up for a moment, please," said McGonagall. Everyone looked around in excitement to see who these special four people were, and Hermione felt her face burn red, as she'd never had to stand up in front of the school before. But she stood up proudly anyway, and smiled as everyone in Gryffindor roared and banged the table. She looked over at Hufflepuff and saw Ernie Macmillan standing with his chest puffed out to show off his Head Boy badge as well, and he reminded her of Percy Weasley. Padma Patil was standing up at Ravenclaw in embarrassment, the shy twin of Parvati Patil. And the most noise was coming from Slytherin, as their entire house was banging the table so hard it shook and cheering as Draco stood up with an air of superiority. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. When they all sat down again, it took a while for the noise to die down enough for McGonagall to continue talking.

"We still have three more students to acknowledge. These three students are doing a Teaching Trainee program this year, and will be fully qualified Hogwarts professors by the end of next year. These three gifted students have showed exceptional talent in their chosen subjects, and we will be proud to have them join the staff next year. First, Neville Longbottom will be becoming the new Herbology professor, Hermione Granger will be the new Transfiguration professor, and Draco Malfoy will be the new Potions Master," said McGonagall. The first two names received plenty of applause, but there was a significant amount of booing from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff when Draco's name was announced. But the booing was drowned out by the younger Slytherin's, who cheered as they realised that one of their peers would become their Potions professor next year. When all of the student announcements were finally over, Professor McGonagall continued with the last few notices to do with the school.

"As you all know, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students. Mr Filch, our caretaker, would like to remind you all that magic is not to be used in the corridors in between classes. Quidditch will be proceeding as usual this year, and our eighth year students will be allowed to participate. If you would like to join your Quidditch team, please contact your House Captain. We are also looking for a new Quidditch commentator, if you're interested please contact myself or Professor Sprout, our new Deputy Headmistress. Now, with all of this said, I would like to ask our Head of House students to lead your houses to their dormitories. All other eighth years please follow me," finished Professor McGonagall. At that, everyone burst into discussion and all eyes were on Hermione as she stood up and took a deep breath.

"Okay, first years follow me!" she called.

"We'll see you at the common room Hermione," said Harry, as the rest of the eighth years followed McGonagall out of the Great Hall. Hermione just nodded, as she already knew most of the details. McGonagall had told her the password to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and the location of the eighth year common room on the train. All of the first year Gryffindor's crowded around her, and she grinned as she led the way to the Gryffindor tower. On the other side of the Great Hall she saw a group of nervous Slytherin kids trailing behind Draco as he walked in the opposite direction.

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Once up at the Gryffindor tower she told all the prefects what the password was to get in and waited for the whole house to arrive. Then she explained everything that McGonagall had explained to her, that she was the equivalent to the Head of Gryffindor House, and all of their problems and concerns would go to her. If she couldn't deal with any problems, she would relay them to McGonagall. Then she answered questions about the eighth year dormitory, and the younger students seemed disappointed that Harry Potter wouldn't be sharing a common room with them. After all of these questions were answered and they were all settled in, Hermione left and made her way back through the empty corridors to the Great Hall. A few professors were still seated at the staff table in quiet conversation, and she saw Lupin and Snape and made her way over to them.

"Hermione! It's good to see you," said Lupin the moment he noticed her walking over.

"Good to see you too Remus. I had no idea that you'd come back to teach?" she asked pleasantly.

"Just for a year, I haven't got much else to do, what with Tonks... passing away," he said grimly. He had the same black rings under his eyes and patched up old robes, giving off an even more shabby and tired appearance than ever before.

"I'm sorry, it was awful," said Hermione sympathetically.

"Yeah, well, what's done is done. I'm glad I came back here though, this castle brings back a lot of good memories," said Lupin with a smile.

"I hope you're not lost, miss Granger?" drawled Snape, making it obvious that he didn't appreciate her interruption.

"Nope, just on my way to the eighth year dormitory. Well, see you in class!" said Hermione, with a brief smile as she kept walking. Lupin nodded, before turning back to Snape and continuing their previous conversation. As she glanced back she noticed that they must have been talking about something private, like his Wolfsbane potions... or maybe even the Death Eaters who were on the run. Either way, she didn't wait around because she was already way behind the rest of the eighth years, since she had to go all the way up to the Gryffindor tower. When she finally reached the dungeons, she noticed that it was much colder and there were a bunch of different corridors leading to different areas. She'd only ever gone to the dungeons for Potions class, and she wasn't sure which corridor lead to the eighth year dormitory. As she uncertainly walked down towards a large door to the far right, she heard a voice from behind her.

"I wouldn't go that way Granger, it leads to the Slytherin common room," said the voice. It was very familiar.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	34. Chapter 34

As she made her way down to the dungeons, Hermione thought about the train ride and her encounters with Draco. She was still angry with him for the letter he'd sent over the summer, basically saying that she was too hard to be friends with and that they couldn't be together due to his parents. And now at Hogwarts, all five of them - Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Draco - had agreed to keep everything that happened over the summer a secret. Nobody knew that they'd spent four weeks together destroying horcruxes and defeating Voldemort, not even Ginny. And nobody knew that Draco had spent a few weeks at the Weasley's house and kissed Hermione Granger, before having his trial. While they'd agreed to keep this a secret to maintain Draco's reputation and Slytherin popularity, and also because Harry and Ron hated him, Hermione still wasn't happy with the situation. She knew that Draco would pretend to hate her because she was a Gryffindor mudblood, and she knew that all of Gryffindor would hate him for being a former Death Eater. And if they kept their friendship a secret, it wouldn't last forever. Well, that was her perspective on everything.

"I wouldn't go that way Granger, it leads to the Slytherin common room," said a voice suddenly. It was very familiar. Just as she assumed, when Hermione turned around she came face to face with Draco Malfoy. They were currently standing in a cold dungeon corridor which was faintly lit up with flaming torches. The dungeons were usually spooky at night, but neither of them noticed as they were focused entirely on each other.

"Well if you're so smart, which way is it?" asked Hermione in annoyance.

"Left," replied Draco. Instead of heading towards the left door to go to the eighth year dormitory where they were meant to be, they both simply stood there and stared at each other.

"Why did you stop owling me?" Hermione asked next.

"I had no choice."

"There's always a choice, Malfoy," said Hermione firmly, as she crossed her arms and glared at him.

"You know why I stopped. If my father found out about us he'd disown me and leave me with nothing. If anyone here at Hogwarts found out, we'd both be screwed," he explained, hoping that she would understand where he was coming from.

"Your mother didn't disown you."

"My mother is a bit more forgiving," said Draco.

"None of this even matters anyway. We'll never be friends because your parents would never accept me, and you are too afraid of losing your friends and reputation," said Hermione angrily.

"I can say exactly the same thing to you," Draco pointed out defensively.

"I'm not the one that ended all contact with you!" hissed Hermione, once again being reminded of how betrayed she felt when she'd received his letter weeks previously.

"That wasn't my fault and you know it!" argued Draco.

"Well that's the problem, isn't it? It doesn't matter who's fault it is, because this will never work," said Hermione exasperatedly.

"We don't have to go around telling everyone that we're in love with each other, but we can still be friends," said Draco, as he took a step closer to her.

"A secret friendship won't last forever. And besides, I want to be more than friends, and I know that you do too," said Hermione firmly, with a slight blush as she remembered kissing him and saying goodbye at Diagon Alley, which seemed like ages ago.

"We won't tell everyone immediately, and we won't keep it a secret forever. It'll happen gradually," said Draco, making it clear that he had given this quite a lot of thought as well. Hermione seemed to like this idea, and it made sense. Most couples didn't go around telling everyone who they were in love with each other anyway, they just let it happen.

"I don't snog secret boyfriends," said Hermione next.

"We don't have to snog; no snogging until we're officially together," Draco promised quickly.

"And you're not allowed to pretend to hate me," said Hermione, looking him closely in the eye this time. She knew that he was saying jokes about her with Pansy and Blaise on the train, after six years of being bullied by him, she could easily tell when he was saying something nasty. And she knew that he would try to continue to be prejudiced in order to maintain his reputation.

"That's impossible, I've always insulted you. They'll suspect something," said Draco with a shake of his head.

"I don't care, Draco," said Hermione softly as she moved closer to him with a coy smile, "make up a story and lie, pretend that Professor McGonagall said you can't be prejudiced any more while you're Head of Slytherin. I don't care how you do it. But you're never allowed to be mean to me."

There was a long pause as they stood painfully close together and looked into each others eyes. Draco was burning to inch his head closer and gently touch his lips to hers, or at least wrap his arm around her waist, or brush a strand of her hair behind her ear. Any form of contact would be good enough, after spending weeks of not seeing her at all. Her words were still ringing in his mind, 'you're never allowed to be mean to me', and he normally would have smirked at an absurd statement like that, especially coming from the girl he'd been mean to for most of his teenage life. Also due to the fact that he was an arrogant pureblood, and nobody could tell him what to do. But at that moment he was under her spell, and all he could do was smile slowly as she mesmerised him. Before he could snap out of it and reply, they heard footsteps coming down the passageway towards them and he took a quick step backwards just in time.

"Granger! Are you lost?" asked Ernie Macmillan as he strode down the corridor towards them.

"No, I'm just going to the dormitory," Hermione answered.

"What's he doing here?" Ernie asked with distaste as he glared at Draco next.

"Going to the dormitory, what else would I be doing here?" snapped Draco with equal dislike. He looked at Hermione one last time with the ghost of a smile before walking off in the most arrogant way he could muster, without listening to Ernie's reply. When the Hufflepuff reached her, he was shaking his head in annoyance.

"I don't like him one bit," he muttered.

"Why?" asked Hermione curiously.

"Well, it's obvious isn't it? Not only did he bully people, you and me for example, but he became a Death Eater too," said Ernie as he looked at her strangely, obviously expecting her to agree completely. He was right after all, she was constantly bullied for being a mudblood and he was often bullied simply for being a Hufflepuff, and he'd always been a bit of a nerd, hence becoming Head Boy. Besides, Hufflepuff's were always laughed at and ridiculed at Hogwarts, especially when they were little, because they were the least talented house. The dorky Ernie Macmillan definitely got his fair share of insults from Malfoy when they were younger.

"That was a long time ago, though. I mean, he hasn't bullied me since sixth year," said Hermione with a casual shrug as they began walking.

"That's because you haven't seen him since sixth year, what with his Death Eater activities. Apparently he was let off the hook, though," said Ernie, although he didn't seem too convinced.

"Yeah, I read the Prophet. He probably didn't do anything too severe," said Hermione confidently. There were a few seconds of awkward silence between them, as they weren't exactly friends, just classmates and acquaintances. All she knew about him was that in their second year, Ernie was one of the Hufflepuff's who suspected that Harry was the heir of Slytherin after speaking Parseltongue. After this was proven false, he apologised. During class he was always nice, friendly, reliable, loyal, hard working and quite smart, as Hufflepuff as you can be. He was always on good terms with Gryffindor's, since he hated Slytherin's just as much as everyone else.

"How are you liking the Head Girl status?" asked Ernie to break the silence. Hermione smiled brightly.

"It's great, I've wanted to be Head Girl ever since I was little. I just wish there was less conflict between the houses sometimes," she explained.

"Well that's our job, enforcing the rules, stopping fights in the corridors, solving disputes between students and reducing the conflict," Ernie agreed thoughtfully.

"Well then we're going to have one hell of a job this year," said Hermione with a sigh, as they finally arrived on the corridor leading to the eighth year dormitory. Ernie chuckled at that, but the closer they got to the door, the more his amusement faded. They could hear shouting and arguing from inside, and it was obvious that their impossible job was about to begin. The door looked exactly like your ordinary dungeon door, except it wasn't ordinary at all. There was no handle, for starters. And in large, beautiful golden letters it read, 'Eighth Years' on the front.

"Dawn," said Ernie clearly. As soon as he'd said the word, a golden doorknob magically appeared and he opened it quickly.

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When the door opened, it was like they'd walked into a war zone. Despite this, the common room itself looked magnificent. Professor McGonagall obviously couldn't have one just houses colours, and trying to put all of the houses colours together would have made it look bizarre. So instead, the eighth year colours consisted of bronze, gold and black. The walls were all the typical greyish tinge of dungeon brick, but they were lined with golden flaming torches, Hogwarts portraits and artistic magical paintings. There was a large golden clock on the far end of the room, and it was surrounded by a few small announcements that were stuck to the wall. There was a large fireplace made of bronze beside the doorway they were standing in, and when the fire ignited it made the bronze metal shine a deep, sparkling golden colour. All around the room there were comfortable black lounges, all of which were lined with gold or had golden pillows. Even the floor was covered with rich, golden carpet. It looked similar to the Gryffindor common room, except everything was black or bright, shiny gold, rather than red. On the far left hand side of the common room there were two doors: one leading to the Ravenclaw sleeping quarters, and one leading to the Hufflepuff sleeping quarters. On the far right hand side of the room there were another two doors: one leading to the Slytherin sleeping quarters, and one leading to the Gryffindor sleeping quarters. Each doorway leading to its individual sleeping quarters had the houses name written on it, in the houses respective colours.

Hermione went over everything in her head again, so as to remember all of the locations. Then she was forced to respond to the scene in front of her: adult students from every house stuck in the same room, with a rough history, unleashing on each other. Nobody seemed to be getting along. The Gryffindor and Slytherin students were arguing over the fireplace. Gryffindor students traditionally always had a warm fireplace to sit around, and so they wanted to sit around the bronze one like they always used to. The Slytherin's fireplace was tiny and gave hardly any warmth, causing their common room to always be cold, and so the bronze fireplace was a luxury to them. Of course, sharing the fireplace would never be agreed upon. The Hufflepuff's were siding with Gryffindor and shouting insults at Slytherin also, and Hermione figured that someone in Slytherin must have said something highly offensive, most likely Draco throwing a snide insult at Harry, which caused the giant uproar. Ravenclaw were generally minding their own business, but Padma Patil, Parvati's twin sister, and Head of Ravenclaw, was doing her best to try and calm everyone down.

"You had six years of sitting in front of a fireplace all night, you don't need it now!" shouted Blaise.

"You don't need it either, so go sit somewhere else," was Ron's reply.

"I spent six years going to bed shivering because of how cold our common room was, so yes, I do need this fireplace!" argued Pansy shrilly, as she pushed herself past Ron and Seamus and plopped onto the lounge comfortably. Ron looked ready to simply push her off, but he was stopped by numerous people.

"Touch her and I'll cut your hands off, Weasley," was of course Draco's warning.

"Don't Ron, just find somewhere else to sit," said Hermione firmly, as she walked into the common room.

"We're sitting at the fireplace, no matter what," said Ron angrily.

"Well I'm not moving from this lounge, so you'll have to pick me up and throw me off," said Pansy, with a malicious smile. She was only saying such things because she knew that if anyone tried to move her, they would need to go through Draco. It made Hermione feel almost jealous that Pansy had that level of protection from Draco, but then realised that Harry and Ron would also beat the hell out of anyone who tried to hurt her. When Pansy had finished the sentence and made it clear that she wouldn't move, Parvati quickly claimed another lounge and curled up on it before any of the Slytherin's could sit down. Blaise didn't seem to care though, as he sat down right beside her and stretched out comfortably, causing Harry and Ron to draw wands on him, and then Draco and Theodore to draw wands on them, and on it went.

"Get off of Parvati's sofa or I'll jump on Parkinson's," Ron warned.

"Put your wand down or I'll stun you and snap it in half," said Draco, as Blaise smirked.

"You don't stand a chance against us," scoffed Harry.

"There's only one way to find out Potter, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Draco replied, goading the Gryffindor on purpose. He was still bitter about being Sectumsempra'd by Harry for a second time.

"Only because you're a Death Eater!"

"Yeah, you shouldn't even be allowed in Hogwarts!" said Parvati defiantly, but she moved away from Blaise slightly who was sitting right beside her.

"That is enough, all of you be quiet!" shouted Hermione, having had enough of listening to the petty arguing.

"Nobody wants your opinion, mudblood," spat Pansy as hurtfully as possible.

"Watch your mouth Parkinson," said Ron dangerously.

"Twenty points from Slytherin," said Hermione loudly, glaring at Pansy.

"Take a hundred points, I don't care," the Slytherin girl challenged.

"Slytherin can have the fireplace tonight, and Gryffindor can have it tomorrow night. After that, we'll organise it so that every house gets to sit near it equally," said Ernie, who was still standing in the doorway. Everyone went quiet and listened to every word he said, which annoyed Hermione, since she'd simply been insulted when she tried to help out. By then it was clear to her why Ernie was made Head Boy, he wasn't just the type of person who always abided by the rules and got good marks, he also had leadership qualities and he always tried to be fair. While Hermione tried to be fair too, she lacked certain leadership qualities, and she also lacked respect from most of the Slytherin's because she was muggle-born, at no fault of her own.

"That still isn't fair, our fireplace was tiny in the Slytherin common room," Pansy continued.

"I don't care how small your old fireplace was, that doesn't matter any more. This is our common room, be thankful that you now have a fireplace to enjoy with the rest of us," said Ernie with a hint of impatience in his tone.

"Fine. But this isn't over, Parkinson," spat Ron, as he glared down at the brunette.

"Whatever Weasley," said Pansy as she kicked her shoes off and put her feet up on the lounge, making herself completely at home. After a while it became obvious how the common room would work. The Slytherin's all crowded around the fire, increasing the heat, talking quietly amongst themselves. They were a very secretive bunch by nature, and they continued looking at the Gryffindor's triumphantly, as if sitting at the bronze fireplace somehow made them superior to everyone else. This annoyed Ron immensely. The Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's were spread out across the room together, generally the two houses that got along the most. And Ravenclaw's were being Ravenclaw's: they were adding notes to the announcements, inspecting the portraits and artworks, checking out their sleeping quarters, getting their books out at tables and talking about what subjects they would be taking that year. Being intellectual. Sometimes Hermione wished that she'd been a Ravenclaw since it fit her personality so well, but Gryffindor was her true home.

"I can't believe they get the fireplace the first night. Who made Ernie Head Boy? I mean seriously?" Ron was complaining as he and Hermione sat comfortably on a lounge, with Harry leaning against it on the carpet like they did in the Gryffindor common room. Only this time, they didn't have a warm fire to sit by. The Slytherin's had taken that.

"At least he solved the dispute," said Hermione, remembering what he said about their jobs as Head Boy and Girl earlier.

"Why can't they just stay in their quarters? It's obvious that nobody wants them in the common room. Whether they're allowed near the fireplace should be voted on, majority rules, you know?" Ron continued.

"Why can't you just stop complaining about them, we're going to be here for a whole year Ron, for gods sake!" said Hermione, with an annoyed 'ugh!' as she got off the lounge and headed for the Gryffindor sleeping quarters.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	35. Chapter 35

When Hermione woke up the next morning, she observed the Gryffindor sleeping quarters again. From the moment you walk in the door, everything was a royal red and gold colour, making her feel like she was in a miniature version of the Gryffindor tower. On either side of the corridor was a girls sleeping quarters and a boys sleeping quarters. And inside both sleeping quarters were five four-poster beds, and another door leading to a separate bathroom. Everything felt familiar to her, which made her curious as to what the other Houses sleeping quarters looked like. After checking the time and getting ready, she quickly left her quarters with her bag, and made her way down the hall to the main common room. As she walked in, she saw that not many people were awake. Mostly just a few Ravenclaw's sitting around one of the larger tables at the back of the room. Neville sitting by the fireplace reading a Herbology book. And a few other Hufflepuff's playing chess. Slytherin's were nowhere to be seen, they were either hiding in their sleeping quarters or they'd already gone to breakfast. Either way, the multi-house common room gave off a friendly and diverse appearance. As long as nobody was arguing, it would be quite a pleasant year.

"Hermione, you going to breakfast?" asked Neville when he saw her.

"Yeah, want to come?" she offered politely.

"Sure. Crabbe and Goyle left about twenty minutes ago, can you believe it?" asked Neville in exasperation. Hermione smiled, remembering being in the tent ages ago when Draco would tell her the stupid things Crabbe and Goyle did. Everyone knew that they were the first to get to breakfast, and the last to leave.

"I wonder how fat they've gotten this year," Hermione said in amusement, getting a laugh from Neville. It was odd leaving their common room from the dungeons, instead of the Gryffindor tower, and Hermione realised that she would be following the same path as the Slytherin's to the Great Hall every morning from now on. When they arrived in the Great Hall, there was hardly anyone there. The only people that arrived this early were people dedicated to studying quietly while they ate, people who couldn't sleep, people who simply woke up really early, and people who had to eat as much as they possibly could, for as long as possible. Crabbe and Goyle sat on the other side of the hall, enthusiastically stuffing their faces with anything their hands could reach. Every few minutes they would mumble something to each other and laugh stupidly. Hermione supposed that Draco was right, if the two giants were actually your friends, they wouldn't be too bad. Following you around cracking jokes, eating food, sticking up for you if anyone messed with you. Kind of like Harry and Ron, but... less complicated, and bigger. But of course, they weren't her friends and they never would be. Instead they would just scowl and insult her every time they saw her, without even knowing why. Hermione sighed as she loaded her plate with food, and got out a Transfiguration book to read as she ate. Neville did the same with his Herbology book. They were both a bit rusty due to the war, and becoming professors would need plenty of extra study.

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When Draco woke up the next morning, he observed the Slytherin sleeping quarters again like Hermione did. His sleeping quarters were absolutely identical to the Gryffindor one, the only difference being the colour: everything was a deep green and silver. Why was this really bad? It was really bad because in the original Slytherin common room, all students had their own individual bedrooms. Whereas here in the eighth year common room, they had the same design as Gryffindor, five four-poster beds in the same room. This meant that he had to share a room with Crabbe and Goyle, whose snores were loud enough to hear through walls. When he got out of bed, he noticed that Crabbe and Goyle had of course already left for breakfast. He shook his head with a smirk at that, and saw that Blaise and Theodore were still sleeping. The moment he'd left his sleeping quarters, he was being bombarded with complaints.

"Can you believe it, our rooms being combined? Can you believe it? It's ridiculous! Not only are we in the dungeons again, but now we have absolutely no privacy!" hissed Pansy furiously.

"Yeah, Greg and Vince kept me up for hours," said Draco tiredly, as he walked down the hall.

"Ugh, if you think they're bad, try sleeping with Millicent. She's like a man. It's gross, I wish I had my own room. I'm going to complain to the cat," said Pansy as she walked beside him. The 'cat' was Professor McGonagall, which was a nickname they'd come up with for her years previously.

"I doubt she'll change anything. They probably didn't have time to make our proper sleeping quarters," said Draco.

"Because ours are better. No wonder Gryffindor's are all obsessed with openness and honesty, sleeping together all the time," said Pansy in annoyance.

"Ravenclaw's probably sleep in birds nests," smirked Draco, getting a laugh out of Pansy.

"Hufflepuff's probably sleep on top of each other too," she went on.

"We do sleep on top of each other, in bunk beds, to be exact," said Ernie Macmillan from one of the tables in the common room.

"You have bunk beds?" snapped Pansy.

"Yeah, we've always had bunk beds in our rooms. Massive ones," Ernie explained. The original Hufflepuff common room was the smallest of all, and their rooms were usually small and warm, with two double bunk beds and a single, or a triple bunk bed. It was also the messiest, with blankets, pillows and fireplaces scattered throughout. The same was for their eighth year sleeping quarters. Quite the opposite for Slytherin, who had heaps of space in the dungeons to have their own individual rooms.

"This is so unfair!" she screeched, "Gryffindor get their traditional crappy rooms with five beds, Hufflepuff's get their bunk beds, and what do we get?"

"I don't know, what do you get?" asked Padma curiously from the other side of the room. Pansy thought that she was being sarcastic, and glared at her.

"Shut up Patil," she huffed as she headed for the door. Draco smirked and followed her out, as the rest of the students glared at them with dislike. He had to admit, he didn't mind Pansy. In the past she was usually obsessive, annoying and extremely offensive, normally, she would turn around and insult Padma for having no friends or something. Draco guessed that Pansy was trying to keep the insults to a minimum, since she was stuck with the other houses for the year. And she was still kind of obsessive, since she'd waited outside his door to go to breakfast with him. But she was a good friend, nonetheless.

"Look, the mudblood is already studying. Merlin she needs to get a life," said Pansy when they arrived at the Great Hall. He glanced over and saw Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table with her long messy brown hair, a piece of toast and her Transfiguration book out. She glanced up from the book and made eye contact with him for a split second.

"I wonder how long Crabbe's been eating," said Draco, casually avoiding talking about Hermione as they sat down.

"Probably half an hour," suggested Pansy.

"Forty minutes," said Goyle in between mouthfuls.

"Wow, are you guys setting a new record?" Pansy played along sarcastically.

"Nah, I'm just hungry," Crabbe said shortly, before putting another whole pancake in his mouth.

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"You think Snape will let me into Advanced Potions?" asked Ron, looking up at the staff table half-heartedly, later on that morning. The only reason he and Harry had gotten into Potions in their sixth year was thanks to Professor Slughorn letting them in. Snape however, only accepted students who could manage 'Outstanding' in their OWL's. And Ron was lucky to even get an Exceeds Expectations, so the chances of him getting into Potions were quite slim. Harry got an Outstanding in his sixth year, thanks to the Half-Blood Prince book which helped him brew exceptional potions. He wasn't sure whether Snape would accept him though, since they both knew about the book, and since Snape had never liked him in the first place. Even if he was the best Potions student in the school, he doubted that Snape would let him in. But it was worth a shot.

"I dunno. I'm going to try though," said Harry in determination.

"Good work Harry. You need it to become an Auror," said Hermione.

"I hate Snape. Why did Slughorn leave?" groaned Ron.

"Probably because the moment he got here, all hell broke lose. Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts, Dumbledore died, Amycus and Alecto Carrow began teaching," said Harry thoughtfully.

"Still, he could've stuck around for another year to help us pass," said Ron, glancing at Hermione as he said this. She noticed the look.

"Don't look at me, I'm not helping you pass again."

"Oh come on Hermione..."

"I'll help you study, but you have to learn to do your own homework and assignments," said Hermione firmly, having had enough of doing the work for them for the past six years.

"Why? It's our last year, after this you'll never have to do it again!"

"Auror training is another three years of study, if you can't pass seventh year, how do you expect to pass Auror training?" asked Hermione exasperatedly.

"I'll just become a famous Quidditch player instead, problem solved," Ron shrugged.

"Good luck with that," said Hermione under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"Here are your subjects and timetables," said Professor McGonagall from behind them, as she read the sheets of paper and began handing them out to individual students. Hermione got hers and read it eagerly. Her eagerness wasn't to see what subjects she had, she knew that they would be the same as last time, since she passed everything with Outstanding and Snape would let her into his class. She was eager simply to see her timetable, and know that she would be going to class and learning again, as nerdy as that sounds. As she expected, she was doing everything except for Muggle Studies, which she didn't need to do since she was a muggle herself. And Divination, since she'd dropped that in her third year after calling Professor Trelawny a fraud and believing the subject to be superstitious nonsense.

"I knew he wouldn't let me in Potions," said Ron sadly, once he saw his timetable.

"That's it," spat Harry, getting out of his seat and heading straight for the staff table, with his timetable squished in his hand.

"Harry don't, you might get into trouble," said Hermione, but she knew there was no stopping him. She saw Pansy Parkinson walking up to the staff table at the same time, looking equally angry about something else. Seeing Pansy, Ernie Macmillan decided to head up to the staff table to see if he could help solve whatever the problem was. Seeing Ernie, Ron decided to join in too. Hermione rolled her eyes and remained where she was, as she watched the eighth year students battle it out with the teachers in front of the whole school.

"Why aren't you letting me into Potions," demanded Harry, standing right in front of Snape, McGonagall and Lupin.

"You're an inadequate student," drawled Snape.

"I got an Outstanding in my sixth year!"

"With Professor Slughorn, not with me," answered Snape immediately, as though he'd been expecting an argument with Harry.

"Because he's a better teacher than you," Harry said coldly.

"Harry," warned Lupin, shaking his head in disapproval. Harry and Snape glared at each other, bright green eyes boring into cold black ones. Nothing seemed to have changed between them.

"Our sleeping quarters are unacceptable. I demand my own personal room," said Pansy when she arrived, looking straight at McGonagall, who raised an eyebrow.

"The eighth year dormitory was built to have equal space for all houses, so you have one sleeping quarters room," explained McGonagall.

"I don't care if Hufflepuff and Gryffindor slept together! We have always had our own rooms!" insisted Pansy, indicating to herself and Draco, who just arrived behind her.

"Nobody cares about you," said Ron, itching to start a fight.

"Shut up Weasley! Honestly, why are you even here?" spat Pansy.

"Calm down," began Ernie, as he prepared to handle the situation as professionally as possible. Draco smirked in amusement, as he knew that Pansy was going to go nuts.

"Why are you here Macmillan? Why? The professors can sort this out, go back to your bunk beds!"

"At least we like our sleeping quarters and aren't complaining like little girls," said Ron indifferently.

"I am a little girl, you idiot, so what? Are you going to fix our sleeping quarters or not?" snapped Pansy, as she turned back to McGonagall.

"Nobody gives a damn about where you sleep Parkinson. I'm trying to get into Potions, how about you be quiet?" said Harry impatiently.

"You suck at Potions, the only reason you passed is because of the bookworm," sniggered Draco. Funnily enough, everyone knew that the bookworm was Hermione, even the teachers, because Snape seemed to be holding back a sneer of his own.

"I see what you mean Minerva, they haven't changed at all since their third year. Gotten worse, much worse," said Lupin with a grin, but none of the students were amused at all.

"Can I help?" asked Padma Patil curiously, as she walked over.

"Just because you're Head of Ravenclaw house, that doesn't make you important," said Draco arrogantly.

"I'm not trying to be important, I just thought I could help," said Padma, looking rather hurt.

"Well you can't. Sorry. Off you go miss Patil," said Draco in a condescendingly mocking tone.

"You're here for no reason Malfoy, leave her alone," said Ernie.

"I'm here because I want my own room. You're here because... oh that's right, you don't have a reason to be here, do you?" Draco went on sarcastically.

"He's Head Boy," said Padma.

"He's a loser," Draco replied.

"Leave him alone."

"Oh Patil, are you in love with Ernie?" asked Pansy loudly.

"No!" protested Padma, blushing bright red.

"I've let you all go on for long enough, and all I've witnessed is children behaving like children," Professor McGonagall observed in one of her strict tones. This shut them all up, to McGonagall's satisfaction.

"Your sleeping quarters are equal in size to everyone else's sleeping quarters and they will not be altered. Your four-poster beds have curtains which offer plenty of privacy, and you can add or move furniture if you'd like. While I'm not condoning the use of magic outside the classroom, be aware that you also have the ability to perform a certain Charm which would silence the rest of the sleeping quarters if you needed assistance sleeping," said Professor McGonagall.

"So the other houses get to have the same sleeping quarters as they used to, but Slytherin doesn't," said Pansy, in an attempt to demonise the new rules.

"No," said McGonagall firmly, not bothering to repeat why. At this, Pansy let out an annoyed 'ugh!' and stomped away dramatically, pulling Draco with her. Ernie and Padma laughed at them slightly and headed back to their own house tables, talking quietly as they went. Harry briefly suspected that Padma probably did like Ernie, but he didn't particularly care in that moment.

"I'm not moving until I'm in Potions," said Harry, remaining where he was and not taking his eyes from Snape.

"Me too," Ron added.

"With Exceeds Expectations, you'll never be in Advanced Potions Weasley. It was never going to happen, and it never will," said Snape rather harshly, but honestly. Ron sighed, having given it his best, and headed back to the Gryffindor table in defeat. There was silence as Harry stayed where he was.

"Come with me, Potter," said Snape impatiently, as he stood up and headed out of the Great Hall. Harry followed the Potions Master, feeling even more determined with the situation. Once they were out of the Great Hall and in a different corridor, he stopped and turned to look at the student.

"You and I both know that you only managed an Outstanding because of my old Potions textbook, which you likely no longer have," began Snape in a deadly quiet voice.

"I could have gotten better marks before then, but I was never able to because I hated being in your classes," Harry replied furiously.

"You hated being in my classes because you were in detention half the time, for not doing homework and failing assignments."

"I'm capable of Advanced Potions, and I need it to become an Auror. Just let me in the class, I won't fail it," said Harry, not bothering to argue any further. There was a long silence as Snape considered this.

"Do you still have my old Advanced Potions textbook?" asked Snape suddenly.

"I know where it is," answered Harry uncertainly.

"You can be in my class, but only because you seem determined and there aren't many students this year. Keep the textbook, I only mention it because you'll need it," said Snape snidely.

"No I won't, I can get an Outstanding with it thanks," said Harry, to keep a little bit of dignity.

"Suit yourself, but if you fail an assignment, I can drop you immediately," warned Snape, as he made his way back into the Great Hall, his black cloak billowing behind him. After a few moments of bitter dislike, Harry suddenly realised what had just happened. Snape just let him into Advanced Potions, and let him keep the old textbook as well. Plus he had Lupin for Defence Against the Dark Arts, and there was no longer any threat of being killed by dark wizards. Suddenly, circumstances for his eighth year were looking pretty good for him. The only bad thing was the common room that he'd have to return to every afternoon, and wake up in every morning.

\----------

"Aww, is little Pothead not allowed in Potions class?" sneered Pansy as she and the other Slytherin's walked towards their first class of the day.

"I'm in Potions actually, thanks for asking," replied Harry sarcastically as he showed off his edited timetable, with Advanced Potions classes added. This shut her up, and she glared at him as she pushed passed them. Draco, Blaise and Theodore Nott were following close behind, and Draco purposefully shoved into Hermione as he passed her. Being small and not exactly expecting it from her secret boyfriend, she was thrown back into Ron and rubbing her shoulder afterwards.

"Watch it, Malfoy," growled Ron.

"He's going to pay this year, I don't care if I've got to curse him with another Sectumsempra to do it," began Harry darkly.

"If I ever see you use that curse again, I'll never talk to you Harry. Neither of you are going to hurt him, unless he deliberately hurts you," said Hermione firmly as they continued walking. When Draco had shoved her, he'd placed a little scrunched up piece of paper in her hand, which she was currently dying to read. The obvious and arrogant shove that he'd given her wasn't nice, but she supposed that he did it to give her the note. She was also deciding whether or not that counted as 'being mean' to her, and whether or not he'd even agreed to what she'd said the night before. Perhaps the note he'd just given her would explain things.

"He did just deliberately hurt us! He doesn't have the guts to push us around, so he targets you instead because you're little. This is exactly why I want to get back at them - I told you he wouldn't change, no matter what he did over the summer," said Ron in a quiet voice this time. Hermione hushed him, not wanting anyone to suspect that they'd been with Draco over the summer.

"Look, just ignore him okay? First class we have is Charms, with the Ravenclaw's. Let's go," said Hermione, pulling them both along with her.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	36. Chapter 36

The first day of classes seemed to go incredibly fast, and Hermione found herself back in the common room early with an excuse to be studying. She quickly went over to the back of the room and sat at a table, got out her Transfiguration book, and then got out the note Draco had slipped her. After making sure the coast was clear, she opened it up and began to read:

'We have a deal. I am not allowed to be mean to you, in public. I'll tell the others it's because McGonagall is watching me, since I'm a former Death Eater or something. Write a reply and put it under the lounge beneath the golden clock. PS: the shove doesn't count, because it's technically not motivated by malice because I did it to give you the note, see how these things are open to interpretation?'

Hermione rolled her eyes at his final statement and how arrogantly intelligent he was trying to be, because he knew how it would annoy her. When she'd finished reading the note, she quickly scrunched it up and put it back into her pocket, with a amused scoff. She immediately began writing her response.

'Okay fine, shoving is only allowed if you're trying to tell me something or send a message, otherwise, it's mean. And why did you underline, 'in public'? Make sure you make this lie with McGonagall believable, otherwise it could cause more harm than good if she finds out. I can't believe I'm encouraging you to lie, see how bad of an influence you are? PS: I owe you a shove.'

When she'd finished writing it, she got up and walked over to the golden clock pretending to read the time, and slipped the paper underneath the lounge like he'd instructed. There were still hardly anyone in the common room, and nobody had noticed what she did. Either way, she would be sitting near the lounge studying while she waited to make sure that he is the one who finds it, and no one else. The minutes ticked by as she continued reading her Transfiguration textbook, which was actually from her first year. Her plan was to re-read all of the textbooks she'd received from first, second and third years so that she could revise all of the content, before she taught the younger classes. And she'd read her seventh year Advanced Transfiguration as well, so she could get Outstanding and pass any Ministry exams they had planned for her later on. She had complete confidence in becoming a professor now, and so did Neville; he was the one who gave her the idea to read older textbooks at breakfast. He was still reading 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' when he walked into the common room.

"Nearly finished?" asked Hermione casually.

"Nope, I think it's going to take a while. I can't read as fast as you, and this books huge," admitted Neville gloomily as he held it up. It was indeed a gigantic Herbology book.

"You'll get there. Have you seen Harry and Ron?" asked Hermione next, since they said they'd arrive shortly after her.

"Yeah, they were getting into an argument with the Slytherin's. Parkinson called Ron stupid for not getting into Potions, and you know how that'll end," said Neville with a grin as he sat down at the fire. Hermione sighed, and a second later the common room door opened again and in came the party.

"Potter only got into Potions because he is 'The Boy Who Lived' and he can have whatever he wants! You're still dumber than Goyle!" said Pansy as she entered first.

"I got an Outstanding in our sixth year," Harry defended himself.

"So did I, in sixth and seventh, because I was here last year."

"That's only because Snape favours Slytherin's. And while you were here, I was risking my neck fighting Voldemort, so don't pull that shit," said Harry heatedly.

"Slughorn was teaching in our sixth and seventh years you idiot, and he favoured you, not us! And I still managed an Outstanding, because Potions runs in our blood!" spat Pansy, though she flinched when he said Voldemort's name and conveniently ignored what he'd said. Harry thought about saying that it also ran in his blood, thanks to Lily being amazing at Potions, but this was neither the time nor place to talk about his mother.

"So what, you learnt more when we were little because half the time I was in fights or detention with Snape," said Harry.

"Well that's your own fault, isn't it? You don't see me fighting with McGonagall," said Pansy as if she never did anything wrong.

"You were crying over your room just this morning, and McGonagall didn't do anything! Imagine if that was me complaining to Snape!"

"You were complaining to Snape," Pansy scoffed.

"Can you just stop fighting or at least do it somewhere else?" asked Hermione in frustration.

"Why don't you go read books somewhere else, mudblood," Pansy spat.

"I was here first."

"And you're outnumbered."

"No she's not, and if you call her a mudblood one more time I'll hex you and anyone else who uses the word," said Harry, pulling his wand out in preparation.

"Would you honestly hex me for name-calling, Potter?" asked Pansy with an innocent smirk. Harry hesitated slightly but kept his wand ready regardless.

"I'd hex an annoying git for insulting my best friend, certainly. Try me, Parkinson," he said shortly. At that, Pansy slipped past him with a smile, and jumped onto one of the lounges near the fire and beside Neville, who frowned at her as he tried to concentrate on his book. Hermione glared at Pansy, frustrated that the Slytherin girl could time and time again be insulting yet get away with it. Draco was definitely right, all Slytherin's knew how to act, lie and manipulate those around them. She didn't like it one bit.

"You should stop drawing your wand unless you're prepared to use it, Potter," said Draco, as he and the other Slytherin's entered the common room.

"Then give me a reason to use it, Malfoy," said Harry, his voice threatening.

"I don't think a will," replied Draco with a casual smile.

"Off the lounge, Gryffindor has the fire tonight," said Ron as he approached Pansy on the sofa.

"It's not night time yet, classes only just ended. I'm just resting."

"Well it feels like night down in these bloody dungeons, and I'm cold, so get up!" said Ron firmly.

"Now you know how it feels to live in the dungeons, imagine doing it for your eighth year in a row!" screeched Pansy, as she got up and stomped over to where Draco, Blaise and the others were sitting. As all the Gryffindor's settled in around the fire and talked, Hermione moved over to them too. When she walked past Draco, she nodded towards the golden clock a tiny bit, and he seemed to understand. Minutes later and a whole bunch of Hufflepuff's arrived, and then some Ravenclaw's returned from the library, and the entire eighth year was back in the common room once again. Draco moved his Slytherin group to the golden clock at the back so that they were away from everyone else, and so that he could grab Hermione's reply note before he went to bed. Despite the argument on the way in, this night was much calmer than the night before. Perhaps that was only because they were separated from the Slytherin's and they'd made a system for who gets the fireplace, but separation was better than fights.

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The next morning was similar to the first. Hermione woke up in her sleeping quarters and headed to the Great Hall with her books, among the other few people who arrived that early: some Ravenclaw's with Padma Patil who all studied obsessively, Crabbe and Goyle who ate obsessively, occasionally Neville if he was in the mood for reading Herbology, and students from younger years. Hufflepuff's rarely got up in the morning, and Hermione supposed that was because of how comfortable and warm their sleeping quarters was. She'd made a personal note to see what all the other sleeping quarters and House common rooms looked like at least by the end of the year. When she sat down and got her book out at the Gryffindor table, she noticed that Crabbe and Goyle were glaring at her. At first she tried to figure out why, having not been at Hogwarts for so long, and then she remembered bitterly. Crabbe and Goyle always glared at mudbloods. In fact, the two Slytherin giants glared at everyone. Regardless, their glares still bothered her and she blocked their faces out with her textbook as she began reading. A few minutes later and she heard footsteps coming from behind her, and turned around to see Lupin.

"You're up early," he said cheerfully as he sat down at the table.

"So are you. You look tired," said Hermione in surprise. The black bags under his eyes were darker then usual, and he appeared drained.

"Oh! Sorry, you must have..."

"It's fine, last night was a full moon," said Lupin casually, and he waved his hand as though it didn't matter. She supposed that it didn't any more, since almost all of the older students knew that he was a werewolf now. Everyone knew that's why he left in their third year, and the Prophet had published lots of stories about him.

"Is that what you and Snape were talking about after the Start of Term feast?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, he's promised to supply me with Wolfsbane potions again. I'm also working on... mending old grudges, but he's a difficult person," said Lupin with a tired smile.

"I think they all are," said Hermione with an exasperated sigh, as she looked pointedly at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Ah, your combined common room. How's that working out?" continued Lupin.

"Not good. You know Harry and Ron, now they're all grown up and famous, they want revenge on all the Slytherin's that have wronged them," said Hermione in annoyance.

"Seems only natural. You don't want revenge?" asked Lupin.

"I don't want conflict," answered Hermione carefully.

"Harry and Ron aren't the only ones who want revenge, you know. Severus still hasn't gotten over his dislike for James and Sirius since Hogwarts. Think of all the Slytherin's whose parents are rotting in Azkaban cells, or being alienated by the Daily Prophet now," said Lupin, making it clear that he'd been observing the news. Lupin must know a thing or two about alienation, after being shunned by most of the wizarding community for being a werewolf.

"Now that Voldemort is dead, don't you think people should move on though?" insisted Hermione. Lupin looked at her for a few seconds thoughtfully.

"Want to know what I think?" he asked, and Hermione nodded curiously.

"I think the fight between the Founders set off a chain of events. In case you weren't aware, Slytherin has often been the weakest house throughout the centuries."

"But that's absurd, they bully everyone!" Hermione disagreed, remembering all the older Slytherin's who walked the corridors shoving people out of their way. In her experience, Slytherin's were people you don't mess with unless you're old enough to defend yourself. Unfortunately for Hermione, the Hogwarts history textbooks rarely discussed which house has power in the schoolyard either, the textbooks merely recount the history objectively.

"No Hermione, not in the past. The other three houses always picked on Slytherin in my time, and in previous generations. Why do you think Severus hates me, Harry's father and Sirius so much? Why do you think the Sorting Hat stressed about the Houses uniting, and that dividing you into four could be disastrous, or even the source of the problem? 'Oh, know the perils, read the signs, the warning history shows'," Lupin quoted a part of the Sorting Hat's song, and Hermione's memory was triggered. She forgot to talk to Harry about the song after the feast, but now she remembered it.

"I'm... not exactly following," said Hermione. In reality she just wanted to know more of what Lupin thought.

"Well look at Hogwarts' history. Slytherin fought the other Founders and left. Slytherin students were always hated and excluded by the other Houses. Every few hundred years you'll find a dark wizard, from Slytherin, seeking revenge on his rivals and probably having fanatical pureblood beliefs," Lupin began to explain.

"Like the Black family," suggested Hermione.

"Yes, like the Black family, Sirius' parents were the worst. After that dark wizard is killed, all of Slytherin are stereotyped to be dark wizards, the cycle of discrimination, distrust and hate towards Slytherin begins again. Like I said with Severus, James and Sirius bulled him for years you know. I tried not to be apart of it, and that's why Severus dislikes me somewhat less. Other Slytherin's like Lucius Malfoy stuck up for him, and he started hanging out with their little Death Eater group at school. Of course, our latest dark wizard from Slytherin was Voldemort, and he sparked one of the biggest wars in wizarding history. His biggest supporters were not only pureblood fanatics, but Slytherin students recruited in Hogwarts, after years of schoolyard rivalry with other houses. Voldemort's influence is the only reason Slytherin seemed powerful to you. Without Voldemort, Slytherin is back to being the weakest House with the least support," finished Lupin.

"So now that Voldemort has come and gone, people are going to suspect another one like him from Slytherin?" Hermione mused.

"Yes, and it's likely to happen too, isn't it? Slytherin students have the worst reputation now, their parents are in Azkaban, and to top it all off, they're going to be hated by the rest of the students even more for what's happened. Look at Lucius Malfoy, when I was at Hogwarts he was much older than us, and he often helped Snape out. He hated James too, and he hated Sirius even more, because Sirius was part of the Black family, but he ended up in Gryffindor. Lucius leaves school, teaches his son that Gryffindor's are bad people, teaches him all the pureblood beliefs... years later, you have a generation of Slytherin students who have been taught the wrong things by their parents."

"How do you know all of this?" asked Hermione, after listening intently to what he was saying.

"It was Dumbledore who told me, years ago when we were in the Order. They were just ideas, Dumbledore had plenty of wild ideas on everything, but it turns out that he's never been wrong when it comes to Hogwarts. And besides, coming back to Hogwarts brings me back to my childhood, to how badly everyone treated Severus and his friends," said Lupin gloomily.

"Well at the rate we're going, Ron's kids will hate Slytherin's before they even get to Hogwarts," said Hermione bitterly as she began loading her plate with breakfast.

"Exactly. The other Slytherin's in your year will teach their kids the same thing. It's Hogwarts tradition, it's been happening throughout history since the Founders split. Know the perils, read the signs, the warning history shows. Dumbledore always said it was a smart hat," said Lupin thoughtfully.

"After the song, I knew that it meant something more, but I didn't have time to think about it. You really are the best Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Remus," said Hermione with a smile. As she finished saying this, they heard footsteps coming from behind them and turned around to see Snape walking into the Great Hall.

"Enjoying your breakfast at the Gryffindor table?" sneered Snape as he neared them.

"Good morning to you too, Severus."

"How did the potion go last night? I hope you weren't in too much pain?" continued Snape. Hermione saw a brief flicker of anger in Lupin's eyes before he replied.

"If you don't want to make the potions for me, Severus, then don't," said Lupin firmly.

"I'll make them," said Snape resignedly, as he walked past them and headed for the staff table.

"Like I said, he's difficult," continued Lupin.

"He doesn't even try to be nice, though. He's always been like that," said Hermione, as she glared at the black billowing cloak moving away from them. How ignorant could you be to ask a werewolf how much pain they were in the night before, next to one of his students? It was said on purpose just to embarrass Lupin. A typical, snide Slytherin move.

"Well, Gryffindor's weren't nice to him when he was your age either," said Lupin.

"What goes around comes around... but that doesn't excuse his behaviour now. Oh, it's a muggle saying," explained Hermione, as she realised that Lupin might never have heard 'what goes around comes around' before.

"A good one too. Because by the looks of things, your Slytherin bullies are about to be bullied, just like things were back when I was at school," said Lupin.

"I don't want it to be like that, though. It's not fair, you can't fight bullying with more bullying. I've been trying to tell Harry and Ron but they won't listen," said Hermione quickly, hoping that she could get some advice from Lupin, since he was on the same page as her.

"Well that's the way things are, uniting Gryffindor and Slytherin is like making lions and snakes be friends, it won't happen overnight, if ever. Ah, here comes Harry now," said Lupin with a smile, as Harry walked towards them with Neville. But Hermione paid no attention to anything else, as what Lupin just said intrigued her. Making the Houses unite was like, 'making lions and snakes be friends, it won't happen overnight'. Well, she and Draco were friends, so if this pair of lion and snake could manage friendship, surely the rest could, Hermione thought to herself. She thought about how their relationship had built ever since he'd given her the apple in the cellar, months ago. She wondered whether Gryffindor's and Slytherin's would be more open to unity if they saw that it was possible for people like her and Draco to be together.

"Rough morning?" greeted Lupin as Harry sat down opposite them. He looked rather like Lupin, except he wasn't tired, he was annoyed.

"It's just Parkinson, she's taken the fireplace and won't move," said Harry with a sigh.

"She's allowed to," said Hermione with a shrug.

"It's not Slytherin's turn."

"That only counts for night time, anyone can sit by the fireplace in the morning," said Hermione diplomatically.

"No, not everyone, because the moment a Slytherin sits there, nobody else will. I wanted to sit there to do the Transfiguration homework, and she..."

"Was there first," finished Hermione.

"Forget it, Hermione. I shouldn't have brought it up, you always side with them anyway," said Harry, without bothering to keep the anger out of his voice. There was an unspoken message hidden there, and she guessed that he was referring to Draco. She was reminded that he was the only one who'd seen them hug and get close at The Burrow.

"I'm not siding with anyone, I just want to make things fair," said Hermione in disagreement.

"She called you a mudblood last night, she called Ron's family poor this morning, and then she took the fireplace and refused to move. That's not fair. She's just trying to piss us off and she does it on purpose," argued Harry, as he loaded his plate with food.

"He's got a point Hermione," said Neville in agreement. Hermione sighed and turned to Lupin to see what he thought. He looked rather bewildered at how the combined common room was working out.

"Well don't look at me, I know how to get rid of a boggarts and trolls, not seventeen year old Slytherin girls," said Lupin jokingly.

"What are we doing for our first lesson, Remus?" asked Harry to change the subject. Their first Defence Against the Dark Arts and Potions lessons for the year were that day, and both classes were with Slytherin. There would be plenty more interaction to come, and Hermione wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Although she was expecting a reply from Draco, assuming that he'd read her note the night before.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	37. Chapter 37

After finishing the first two classes of the day, Hermione headed out to the grounds to take a break from all of the inter-house tension and arguments that were going on between her eighth year peers. It had only been a few days and already she was getting sick of listening to Ron and the rest of the Gryffindor's complain. She was also getting sick of listening to Pansy constantly start fights over the smallest and most petty things. In the past she usually went to the library to take a break from everything and study, but even the library had been loud and distracting in the first few days due to the influx of students. So instead she had secluded herself to the grounds, where she could overlook the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid's Hut, and think in peace.

"There you are!" came a voice from the courtyard behind her, and she turned to see Harry making his way over to her.

"Hey Harry," said Hermione quietly as she looked out over the grounds, deep in thought again.

"So, you excited to start your Transfiguration program on monday?" asked Harry, hoping to start a genuine conversation without the interference of any Slytherin's for once. He was definitely on Ron's side about hating the Slytherin's no matter how much Malfoy had helped them over the summer, and he was rather frustrated with the fact that Hermione was defending them. Despite this though, he was tired of seeing his two best friends fight so early in the semester, and he hoped it wouldn't escalate into anything worse like the Yule Ball in their fourth year. Therefore he had to focus on calming them down and preventing arguments between them. When it comes to Ron and Hermione though, that's easier said than done.

"Of course I'm excited, but I don't know... with everything else going on, I don't really have time to think about teaching," said Hermione with a sigh.

"What do you mean? I know Ron is getting on your nerves, but he can't be that bad," began Harry uncertainly.

"No not just Ron and the Slytherin's... I've been meaning to talk to you about the Sorting Hat's song. Remember at the feast when I said I wanted to tell you something?" asked Hermione, as she decided to share her thoughts. Harry was definitely her best friend at that moment. Ron was being a prejudiced git towards every Slytherin in school, and Hermione would never agree with him no matter how he tried to justify it. On the other hand, Harry had always been able to listen to what she had to say and help her even if he didn't fully agree.

"Yeah, I think it was just warning us about Death Eaters on the run," said Harry with a shrug.

"Maybe, but before you came over at breakfast this morning Lupin told me heaps about Hogwart's and what the warning could have meant," said Hermione, and she proceeded to tell him everything Lupin had told her. About how the song may have been warning them about Hogwart's history, about the recurring consequences of what happens when the houses are continuously divided and taught to hate each other.

"'Oh, know the perils, read the signs, the warning history shows,' and 'We must unite despite our differences, or we'll crumble from within.' Don't you see? The song was warning us about more than just Death Eaters, it was warning us about our own prejudices," Hermione finished, hoping that Harry would agree with her and she'd finally have someone on her side.

"I dunno Hermione. It makes sense, and if Dumbledore and Lupin both believed it then I guess you could be right... but do you honestly think that anyone else will see it the way you do?" asked Harry. Hermione thought about that for a moment, and then sighed. No, nobody would see it the way she did. The Hufflepuff's and Gryffindor's would be too preoccupied with fighting and arguing about the past to care, and even if they listened they wouldn't be capable of being friends with Slytherin's. The Slytherin's are too narrow-minded to listen to a muggleborn and would probably laugh at the mention of Dumbledore and Lupin, who are nothing but a dead old fool and a werewolf to most of them. Ron would hate her more for bringing it up, and probably accuse her of 'fraternising with the enemy'. Harry would acknowledge that she may be right, but do nothing about it because he is stuck between herself and Ron. Draco would tell her that while he agrees with her, there was nothing she could do to change Hogwart's tradition and how every student behaves. As she was contemplating all of this, Harry continued.

"And it would take a hell of a lot more than the Sorting Hat's song to convince a generation of students to suddenly forget thousands of years of Hogwart's tradition and befriend each other," he said with a scoff. Hermione sighed a second time before answering.

"I know, and this shouldn't even matter because like I said, I came here to finish my education in peace and not worry about fighting any more. But with the majority of Gryffindor and Slytherin blindly hating each other, studying in peace isn't possible. Voldemort is dead, the war is over, I wish everyone would just move on," said Hermione irritably.

"We're only a few days into the year Hermione, and it's the first year we've been forced into one common room. Plus after what happened to Neville, Ginny and everyone else last year, it's no surprise they're acting like this," said Harry, attempting to change her perspective on things.

"I get that, but why is Ron acting like such a prejudiced git?" she continued stubbornly.

"Because the Slytherin's were the prejudiced gits first, and me and Ron are going to keep sticking up for you no matter what," said Harry firmly. There was a short pause as Hermione smiled slightly at that, even though she was still angry with how everyone kept fighting. It was an inevitability, and until she found some amazing way to change all their minds, there wasn't much she could do about it.

"Thanks Harry," Hermione said reluctantly.

"No problem. Speaking of Slytherin's, we've got Potions in about five minutes with them," said Harry grumpily.

"Good!" Hermione replied cheerfully.

"Good? Slytherin's and Snape in the same room is not good," said Harry in concern.

"Well at least it'll be a small class," Hermione quickly deflected.

"We're the only two Gryffindor's in the class, and there's five Slytherin's," continued Harry, as he stood up and helped her up off the grass.

"Oh. Well, Snape is strict and he'll make sure no one argues," said Hermione, though she wasn't quite sure of it.

"Doubt it, he'll probably use this as his last opportunity to make our lives agony before we leave Hogwarts," said Harry bitterly, causing Hermione to laugh.

"He's not that bad. He was on Dumbledore's side all along, remember. Without Snape we would never have been able to beat Voldemort," said Hermione, as she was reminded of the night Voldemort died and Snape had shown his memories to Kingsley and the other Ministry officials. While most people were not allowed to see the memories, the Daily Prophet stated that his memories proved that he had been spying for Dumbledore, protecting Harry, and lying to Voldemort for seventeen years. The memories also showed that Dumbledore was already dying, and he'd asked Snape to kill him, so it wasn't murder, it was planned so that Draco wouldn't have to kill Dumbledore, and so that Voldemort would trust Snape completely.

"Yeah, I guess he isn't all bad. But that doesn't change the fact that he'll be an absolute git in Potions," said Harry, as they waded through the sea of students towards the dungeons for their first Potions lesson.

\----------

As predicted, it was a small class. There were a total of nine students: Harry, Hermione, Ernie, Padma, Draco, Pansy, Blaise, Theodore Nott and Millicent Bulstrode. While Slytherin clearly dominated in numbers, there was still a student from every house which made them look like an odd bunch standing outside the Potions classroom together. Being the only two Gryffindor's in the class made Hermione feel proud of herself and Harry to make it, since Advanced Potions was possibly the most selective subject in the school, because of Snape and the difficulty of the course. Ernie Mackmillan was the only Hufflepuff and Padma Patil was the only Ravenclaw. Even though the five Slytherin's standing across the hallway from them looked rather intimidating, Hermione was hopeful that not much conflict would occur throughout the year in this class. Draco had nothing against them, Snape was biased but not exactly cruel, she and Ernie were Head students, and everyone was more mature now than they had ever been.

"I wonder what you had to do to get into this class, Pothead," came Pansy's arrogant and predictable comment. Hermione rolled her eyes. So much for maturity.

"Nothing, I got an Outstanding last year and here I am. Got a problem with that?" Harry retorted.

"Yeah, I've got a problem with the fact that you were Slughorn's little pet," Pansy continued.

"Gosh do you ever be quiet?" asked Hermione exasperatedly.

"Shut up mudblood," said Millicent.

"All of you be quiet!" Snape said coldly, causing a few of them to jump and turn to the open Potions doorway where he was standing. A few first and second years scurried past nervously, and some fourth year Slytherin's down the hall turned to watch the scene in amusement.

"Let me make myself clear: I don't give a damn what happens outside of my classroom, or what happened last year. While you're in my class, you will keep your mouths shut unless you're answering a question or discussing Potions theory. Do you understand?" Snape continued venomously, glaring at each and every one of them. Everyone nodded, and the Slytherin's seemed rather annoyed at being treated as their peers' equals. After that, Snape turned and strode into the room and the students followed with the Slytherin's pushing and shoving their way in first. The room was organised with desks for three people, which was convenient in previous years because they had Ron with them to make the trio. This year, Harry and Hermione sat right at the front to ensure that Snape would notice if the Slytherin's tried talking to them. Ernie and Padma sat on the far left of the room together. Draco, Pansy and Blaise sat on the desk directly beside Hermione's and Harry's, which was no doubt Draco's idea just to get closer to her. And Theodore was forced to sit next to Millicent behind them, much to his dismay.

"I can already tell this is going to be the worst class ever," Harry muttered under his breath, after glancing around at the Slytherin's.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor. Don't seem to change much, do you Potter?" Snape sneered, reminding Harry of his very first Potions lesson. He went red with frustration and silently fumed at how unfair the situation was already. He felt like snapping back, 'Neither do you, you old git' but he held his tongue instead and focused on ignoring Hermione's crestfallen expression at losing precious house points. There were a few sniggers from beside them, Pansy's the most noticeable, but Snape just happened to not notice them.

"Now, what potions did Professor Slughorn teach you last year?" asked Snape, as he turned to face the class. Hermione's hand had shot in the air before he even finished the sentence.

"Potter, how about you?" continued Snape, ignoring the bushy-haired girl who looked crestfallen yet again.

"Uh, the Draught of Living Death, and we studied Everlasting Elixirs but didn't get to make any," Harry began to recall.

"So not much. Slughorn has a very safe approach to teaching, which is impractical to teach Advanced Potions. None of you have seen proper Advanced Potions. My seventh year classes are much more practical and will require your full attention at all times. We have a double period today, so you will be making two potions, and at the end of the lesson we will be testing them on a volunteer," said Snape with a smirk. Hermione was bubbling with excitement.

"What potions sir? Are they dangerous?" asked Draco, who was leaning forward in his seat.

"Your potions will be the Draught of Living Death, and the Wiggenweld Potion. As you should already know, the Draught of Living Death will put the drinker into a death-like magical sleep, and the only cure for such sleep is the Wiggenweld Potion. You will have to decide amongst yourselves who the volunteer will be, whose Draught potion will be used, and whose Wiggenweld potion will be used," Snape announced, with the hint of a smile. Harry guessed that this was some sort of test he performed every year to see who was 'worthy' of being in his Advanced Potions class.

"Sir, are you sure that this is safe? What if our potions are made incorrectly?" asked Hermione, sounding nervous.

"If your potions are incorrect that would be disastrous, hence the point of having a volunteer: when you emulate the real world, students behave like adults and learn better. Believe it or not miss Granger, I am legally allowed to have volunteers take potentially dangerous potions, however I choose to only do this with seventh years. You'll find that Durmstrang students drink many of their potions from first year onwards," Snape explained, causing the students to listen in shocked surprise. "However, I obviously have my own Wiggenweld Potions and other healing potions in case of any emergencies, and Madam Pomfrey is very prepared after helping out in previous years."

"There'll be an emergency if Potter's potions are used," said Pansy, just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"In case you've forgotten Parkinson, my Draught was the best in the class last year," Harry replied.

"Twenty points from Slytherin and Gryffindor," said Snape, sounding bored.

"This is bullshit," Harry snapped in anger, causing Pansy to laugh derisively.

"And another twenty from Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall has asked me not to hand out detentions in the first week of term, but ruining a Houses chances of winning the House Cup is just as satisfying, so please continue," said Snape sarcastically. Hermione looked about ready to burst, so she stomped on Harry's foot under the desk and glared at him to make him be quiet. When everyone had gone quiet, Snape continued talking.

"Now for a little Potions history. It is said that a princess was given the Draught of Living Death and put into the deep sleep by a Hag named Leticia Somnolens. Afterwards, a prince who smeared Wiggenweld Potion on his lips kissed the princess, curing her and awakening her out of the sleep. The muggle fairy-tale, 'Sleeping Beauty' was based on this story. You will be testing the authenticity of the tale, with the potions you brew. And then you will write a report on the experience, and the ingredients and effects of both Potions. Any questions?" asked Snape.

"Will we have to do the kissing part?" asked Draco, with a smirk as he glanced at Hermione, who blushed.

"Why are you going red Granger, nobody would want to kiss you anyway," said Pansy, laughing hysterically when she noticed Hermione's blush. The situation was so ironic, and Hermione was incredibly tempted to reply with, 'Your ex already has', but she instead just sighed and rolled her eyes like she normally would.

"I'd kiss Hermione over you any day Parkinson," said Harry, deciding that some banter was allowed since she just started more unnecessary drama.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Pansy snorted, in obvious disbelief.

"I think our photos of the Yule Ball speak for themselves," said Hermione next with a careless shrug, following Harry's lead. Blaise and Draco roared with laughter as Pansy went red.

"Quiet!" shouted Snape, looking beside himself with rage because he couldn't hand out any detentions.

"I can't give you detentions and if I take away any more points you'll all be on negative scores for the entire bloody year. Instead, you're going to split into three groups, and yes, you will be doing the kissing part. And you can't kiss anyone in your own house," said Snape, thinking on the spot to make the situation as uncomfortable for the students as punishment.

"That's not fair, we haven't done anything wrong!" said Ernie from the window with Padma.

"The groups will be as follows: Macmillan, Patil and Millicent are one. Draco, Blaise and Granger are two. Potter, Theodore and Pansy are three. All of you have to brew both potions, your time starts now, no more questions, begin," said Snape, as he sat back down in his chair and smirked at all of the devastated students glaring at their assigned partners.

\----------

It was clear that some groups were going to have a harder time than others brewing the potions. When Hermione, Harry and Ron were a group they always had a system where one person would go and get three sets of the required ingredients, another person would begin setting up the cauldrons and equipment, and the third person would speed read the textbook to figure out how to do it. This made everything much faster, although in their sixth year Harry usually just did things his own way thanks to the Half-Blood Prince book which gave him better instructions. When Hermione suggested this idea to Blaise and Draco, she got a typically negative response.

"Hey um, Malfoy, can you get all our ingredients while we start setting up?" began Hermione hesitantly when everyone began rushing around.

"I'm not about teamwork Granger, I'm about getting the job done, alright?" was his immediate response as he walked to the ingredients cabinet. She rolled her eyes and turned to Blaise, who was trying not to laugh at how Draco had shut her down.

"Hey um, Granger, can you get me my ingredients while you're there? I'll read the textbook and set up your cauldron," Blaise went on to say. It was obvious that he was mimicking her, but he also wasn't moving to get his own ingredients, so Hermione rolled her eyes and went to get both of their ingredients. When she returned after waiting in line behind Harry and Ernie (Draco had pushed in front instead of waiting), she saw that Draco and Blaise were already both starting their potions without her. And her cauldron wasn't set up or ready, and they were using her textbook.

"Why'd you get two sets of ingredients?" asked Draco curiously.

"Ugh, very funny. You guys are jerks," said Hermione as she rolled her eyes and dumped the wasted ingredients on another bench.

"Oh sorry, I forgot! Draco and I usually have a system where we work together," began Blaise with a sneaky grin.

"Can I please have my textbook?" demanded Hermione as she began setting her cauldron up as fast as possible.

"Can't you just set up your potion on this side of the bench? We have to share the book, we lost ours," said Draco in amusement.

"How could you lose your textbooks, we haven't even finished one week of school!"

"Please, please miss Granger! I haven't done anything wrong!" said Blaise in a first year imitation, making reference to the fact that she was going to become a teacher.

"Oh shut up," Hermione sighed, suddenly realising how sarcastic and frustrating Blaise really was. In the corridors he wasn't a very confrontational person, and usually made side jokes about herself, Harry and Ron while Draco was the more confident and forward of the Slytherin's. It was also obvious from the Hogwarts train that he and Theodore Nott were like-minded and believed that they hadn't done anything wrong last year. Despite the poor start to the lesson, Hermione moved her cauldron and ingredients over and stood beside Blaise in silence, and began her potion as she started reading the textbook.

"So Granger, are you excited? I mean, one of us has to kiss you. I would kiss Draco, but we can't kiss our own houses, Snape's rules," Blaise began casually.

"I'm trying to concentrate," said Hermione bluntly, having no desire to talk to the strangely bizarre Slytherin boy standing beside her. She glanced over at Draco to see what he thought of what Blaise was saying, and found him struggling not to laugh.

"Oh okay, that's fine. Do you usually need quiet to read? I noticed that Theo is the same..." Blaise went on, as though it was completely normal to talk nonstop to her and making it obvious that he was just trying to get on her nerves. It was going to be a long and irritating lesson, and she couldn't take her mind off of the fact that she would be kissing one of them before they left.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	38. Chapter 38

Immediately after Snape had given them the instructions and told them to start, Theodore Nott raced to the ingredients cabinet with his textbook open to the relevant page, without saying a word to either of his partners. In a way he reminded Harry of a male, Slytherin Hermione. He was almost exactly the same in terms of grades and his quiet nature, except he also appeared to care about no one else but himself.

"Potter, you can get mine," Pansy said immediately, as she leaned against the desk and curled a loose strand of her hair.

"You can get your own, actually," said Harry firmly as he moved to walk away.

"If you don't get my ingredients I won't make the potion and you'll have to kiss Theo, and we both know that you want to kiss me," Pansy went on, lowering her voice seductively as she said it. This stopped him in his tracks, and he turned around and noticed her smiling at him deviously.

"I don't know what game you're playing Parkinson, but this isn't funny," said Harry in frustration.

"It's not supposed to be funny, I just don't want to get the ingredients. Everyone pushes and shoves, it's faster when boys do it," said Pansy innocently.

"I'm not getting your ingredients," Harry said flatly.

"It's not hard," Pansy argued.

"That's beside the point."

"Well okay, fine," said Pansy dismissively. She simply shrugged, sat down at the desk and crossed her arms.

"Are you going to get yours?" Harry asked uncertainly.

"Nope."

\----------

In the other group containing Ernie, Padma and Millicent, things were far more awkward. All three of them went to get their own ingredients, because Millicent refused to get anyone else's and didn't trust anyone else to get hers, Padma insisted on getting her own so that she could hand pick good ingredients, and Ernie didn't want to ask either of the girls to get his so he did it himself. At the bench, Millicent went on the opposite side of the table and began working in silence, while Ernie and Padma worked side by side.

"So uh, whose potion should we use do you think? And how are we going to go about the whole kissing thing?" began Ernie, in an attempt to start a conversation.

"Not mine, and not me. Shut up," said Millicent, whilst glaring at him. In truth Ernie had just wanted to establish the fact that he would be kissing Padma, and he would only be using Padma's potions because he did not trust nor like Millicent in any way shape or form. Now that this was out in the open, the three of them proceeded to make their potions in the same awkward silence.

\----------

"Oh Granger, yours is looking a little red! Doesn't the textbook clearly state that the potion should be a purpley-black colour?" asked Blaise, as he glanced over her shoulder and into her cauldron.

"Yes, Zabini, it does. Do you mind?" Hermione snapped, shuffling away from him uncomfortably.

"Are you worried? Do you think Snape will be mad?" Blaise continued persistently, causing Draco to chuckle as he stirred his potion.

"My god, you are actually one of the most annoying people I've ever met!" Hermione hissed, trying to hide the fact that she actually was worried because she rarely had problems with potions like this. And it was probably due to his constant distracting and pestering.

"It's okay. You can just drink mine instead if you'd like?" suggested Blaise harmlessly.

"I'm not drinking any potions, you guys are the ones drinking it," said Hermione firmly.

"Oh I see, so you want to be the prince in the scenario, I like a girl who takes control," said Blaise with a wink.

"What? No, I just don't trust either of your potions enough to-" began Hermione in exasperation.

"It's okay Granger, we're more than willing to be rescued by you," Draco played along.

\----------

"Thanks Potter!" said Pansy brightly as he dumped her ingredients in front of her.

"I didn't get them for you," Harry pointed out bitterly, as he began brewing his potion.

"Yes you did, at least that's what it looked like. I bet Granger saw, what do you think she'll say after the lesson? Do you think she thinks you like me now?" Pansy said rapidly, as she began chopping her ingredients up and chucking random things into the potion.

"I honestly don't care, and are you even looking at what you're putting in your potion?" asked Harry in alarm as he watched her.

"You don't care what Granger thinks? I thought you were best friends?" asked Pansy curiously.

"That's not what I meant," Harry snapped.

"I might tell her," she continued.

"Just ignore her Potter, she tends to get like this when she's bored," said Theodore in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

"Just ignore him Potter, he tends to get like this when he's in nerd-mode," mimicked Pansy with a smirk, as she dropped a few more things into the potion. Harry watched her work, and read his textbook, double checking to see if she was screwing it up or not. Sure enough, she was getting the ingredients completely wrong.

"See something you like?" asked Pansy, smirking when she noticed him watching her.

"You're doing the potion completely wrong," stated Harry.

"Oh well, looks like I'll have to drink one of yours," said Pansy with a shrug. Harry stared at her in utter confusion, as he tried to figure out what the Slytherin motive was behind this new turn of events. "These potions aren't graded, what does it matter?"

"That's her way of forcing you to be the one to kiss her, as a way of embarrassing you in front of the mudblood," said Theodore, as if using the word mudblood was completely acceptable.

"Shut up," snapped Harry, glaring at the other guy in anger.

"That's his way of defending the mudblood's honour," Pansy mimicked a second time, with an evil chuckle. Harry found himself absolutely furious and with nothing to do about it, which Pansy no doubt found hilarious. He looked through his textbook at the ingredients, thinking of something that he could do to get back at them. Pansy was right, after all: the potions weren't a formally graded assessment, and Snape couldn't technically drop him for screwing this potion up. Before Pansy could say another word, he grabbed two hand fulls of the wrong ingredients and dumped them into his and Theodore's potions. Thankfully Snape wasn't watching, and the result was priceless.

"Well, looks like no matter who's potion you drink, you're screwed either way," said Harry, feeling surprisingly satisfied.

"You idiot, are you trying to get us killed?" screeched Pansy, causing the rest of the class to look over at them.

"We can't die, Snape is here to help, or don't you trust him?" asked Harry sarcastically.

"You'll be the one drinking the potion, this is your fault," Pansy continued furiously.

"Are you scared of going to the Hospital Wing?" asked Harry, hoping to get on her nerves for once.

"Of course I'm not!"

"You sound like it."

"Manipulation isn't your strong point Potter, you should give up trying to be like me," said Pansy, in an attempt to regain control of the situation.

"Courage isn't your strong point Parkinson, you should give up trying to be like me," mimicked Harry carelessly.

"I'm not a coward."

"I beg to differ."

"Fine! I will drink the potion no matter how ruined it is!" said Pansy defiantly, though by the looks of her expression she immediately regretted saying it.

\----------

Everyone watched the scene in surprise. Hermione didn't exactly approve of the situation that Harry had created, because it was dangerous, against the rules, and against her nature to ruin two potions. But she was proud of the fact that he had found a way to get back at Pansy for once, since she'd been ruining all their moods since they'd arrived. When she returned to her potion she took a quick glance at the two Slytherin's beside her to see their reactions, and was surprised to notice that Draco looked furious. He walked towards the other bench, leaving his potion unattended. Blaise smirked as he quickly picked up Draco's stuff and continued brewing both their potions at once, which puzzled Hermione.

"What's he doing? Why are you smirking?" demanded Hermione.

"If one of us big bad Slytherin's forced you to drink a dangerous potion, what would Potter do?" said Blaise, making Hermione roll her eyes. He sometimes enjoyed taking forever to explain something in a stupid way, rather than just tell her what he thought. But she got the point. If Draco had ruined their potions and forced Hermione to have to drink a dangerous potion, Harry would be walking over at them angrily too.

"Watch my potion?" she said quickly to Blaise, before hurrying over to the other groups bench.

"Oh of course, absolutely!" Blaise called after her, his smirk turning into an outright grin.

"You ruined the potions, you drink it," Draco was saying to Harry when she arrived at the scene.

"Go back to your bench Malfoy, I'm not drinking anything," Harry answered.

"Then Theo will drink it, and you can kiss him," Draco continued.

"You sure about that? Nott, do you want to be kissed by me?" asked Harry, turning to Theodore who shook his head silently as he attempted to repair his potion.

"What? This is for Pansy, he'll do what I say," said Draco firmly.

"Draco I'm not going out of my way for Pansy or you, I'm not part of this little Slytherin hierarchy any more," said Theodore, sounding almost angry as he looked up from his potion and glared at the other Slytherin's. There was an awkward silence, and Draco looked beyond furious at that point. Hermione was both shocked and confused, as it was obvious that conflicts within their group happened rarely. Snape arrived a moment later, which was just in time to prevent the situation from escalating.

"Why are you two here, and not brewing your potions?" the Potions Master demanded, looking pointedly at Draco and Hermione.

"Potter purposefully ruined his and Theo's potions, so now Pansy will get poisoned, or whatever happens, when she drinks one," answered Draco.

"And why can't Pansy drink her own potion?" asked Snape, sounding bored as he already knew the answer.

"She..."

"Ruined her own potion on purpose. I'm not blind, nor am I stupid. If Potter and Parkinson enjoy putting their lives at risk together, that isn't your problem Draco, so return to your bench," Snape instructed bluntly.

"You have to let them make new potions," Draco argued furiously.

"Have I ever let anyone make new potions in all my years of teaching?" Snape demanded.

"No, but..."

"No, and this year will be no different from any other year. Get back to your bench, immediately," Snape continued. Everyone watched in surprise as it was possibly one of the first times Snape and Draco had argued in Potions. Hermione knew that there was something much deeper between them, from everything that Draco had told her and the fact that Snape had offered to help him in his trial over the summer. Hermione began walking back to her own bench, and Draco reluctantly followed her. In a few moments, everyone had gone back to work.

"This is bullshit, we need to talk about Theo later," Draco muttered as he continued his potion.

"Got that right. You're up to step twelve by the way," said Blaise, pointing at the textbook. Hermione looked down at her potion, and noticed that it had changed colours and was creating a pinkish mist. She looked over at the textbook, trying to figure out what Blaise had done.

"What step am I up to?" she asked curiously.

"Um, step seven if my calculations are correct," Blaise mocked her.

"I asked you to watch my potion!"

"I did watch it. I watched it heaps, while I worked on mine and Draco's," said Blaise with a laugh.

"You are such a jerk!" said Hermione, looking both devastated and hurt at the same time.

"It doesn't matter, you can just drink one of ours. Plus everyone will be able to make the Wiggenweld Potion afterwards," said Draco, in an attempt to be neutral in the situation.

"Oh, so it doesn't matter if my potion is ruined but if it happens to a Slytherin then it's suddenly a big deal!" snapped Hermione, as she glared at him.

"Yeah, that's pretty much the way it's been since like, forever," said Blaise with a laugh, "where have you been all summer Granger?"

"Just because it was like this when we were little, doesn't mean it has to always be like this. But whatever," said Hermione, as she grabbed the only textbook they had and walked to the opposite side of the bench to prepare her second potion.

"Come on, we can still work together," said Blaise, as he tried not to laugh.

"I don't like you, so I'm not working with you," said Hermione angrily.

"If we can't see the textbook, we can't finish our potions and you'll have to drink something just as bad as theirs," said Draco, nodding towards Harry's group.

"I won't be drinking anything, thanks to Zabini."

"I thought you Gryffindor's were meant to be brave and courageous," accused Blaise in pretend shock.

"I thought you boys were meant to be brave and courageous," Hermione countered shyly.

"Oh she's got us there Draco, we better get our shining armour out," said Blaise as he burst out laughing. Both Slytherin's continued to laugh as Hermione rolled her eyes and continued working on her potion with a reluctant smile.

"Okay fine, I'll drink the potion if you share the textbook with us. I want to get it right so I don't die or anything," Blaise suggested casually. There was an awkward silence that followed, and Hermione realised that if she said yes then she would have to kiss Blaise. She hesitated and made eye contact with Draco for a moment, and Blaise looked between them in confusion.

"What?" he asked curiously.

"I'd prefer it if I was the one knocked out during the kissing process so I don't remember it. Just try not to screw the potion up," said Hermione quickly, as she pushed the textbook over to them. Draco smiled in what almost looked like relief, but she couldn't be sure.

\----------

The end of the lesson came swiftly, and before Hermione knew it she was preparing to drink the potions. Her own Draught of Living Death was still creating a strange pinkish-purple mist and was pretty much ruined, and she suspected that Blaise probably put in the wrong ingredients because it was beyond fixing. Her Wiggenweld Potion was flawless, it glowed a deep crimson colour with specks of shiny ruby throughout, just as the textbook said it should. She looked over at the boys' potions wearily, trying to decide which Draught of Living Death was safer to drink. Then she remembered that neither of them were safe, because they were designed to put her into a never-ending magical sleep... but still. Blaise's was a smooth, purpley-black colour, which had an almost glassy surface as he'd stopped heating it. Hermione assumed he'd given up, because the potion was nowhere near finished. Draco was still working on his despite the fact that Snape told them to stop and begin drinking, she hoped that he was doing it for her sake, or maybe he just wanted to have a better potion than anyone else. Either way, his was practically clear as water, which was exactly what it was supposed to look like. Their Wiggenweld Potions were nowhere near as good as hers though.

"Let's get one thing straight: you will be using my Wiggenweld Potion to heal me, understood?" said Hermione firmly.

"Oh one second let me write this down, I wouldn't want to forget," Blaise began sarcastically.

"I'm being serious," Hermione continued, as she pushed her own potion over to them, and pulled their potions to the other end of the desk. Blaise watched her in amusement.

"Damn you've moved them away, guess I won't be able to use them now."

"Malfoy's Draught and my Wiggenweld are the only ones that look like what the textbook says," said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"Ah, here comes the inner bookworm!" commented Blaise gleefully.

"I hate you," groaned Hermione.

"Let's watch the other groups drink first," said Draco, as he pointed over to Millicent's group where Snape was supervising. Padma drank her own Draught of Living Death, which was perfect, and as she slumped off her seat Ernie caught her and gently placed her on the ground.

"Aww, cute!" Blaise said just loud enough for everyone to hear, causing Ernie to go red with embarrassment and the Slytherin's to laugh.

"Shut up," said Hermione in annoyance.

"Don't worry Granger, we'll catch you too."

"Stop talking," Hermione hissed. As she finished this sentence, Ernie proceeded to smear the Wiggenweld Potion on his lips and gently kiss Padma. Moments later she woke up groggily, wiped her eyes, answered a few of Snape's questions about how she felt, and they were finished. It was obvious that their potions were perfect, and nothing had gone wrong.

\----------

"Draco's group now," Snape announced, looking over at Pansy and Harry wearily. This made Hermione worry slightly about what to expect. Would someone have to go to the Hospital Wing? But suddenly everyone was watching her expectantly, and so she filled up a flask with Draco's clear, deadly potion. Since she didn't trust Blaise whatsoever, and she knew that if Draco caught her it would be uncharacteristic of him, she laid down on the ground to drink the potion. She took a deep breath and drank the tasteless, colourless potion, and then all went black.

From everyone else's perspective, Hermione simply passed out, her hand fell limply to her side and the flask rolled from her fingers onto the cold floor. Draco watched in nervous apprehension, as it looked like she had just drank poison and died. The idea tied his stomach into knots. She had only fallen asleep though, and he could tell because her chest continued to rise and fall very gently. A few moments later he suddenly realised that everyone was waiting for either himself or Blaise, who was laughing, as usual, to reawaken the Gryffindor girl.

"I'll do it," said Draco with a sigh, trying to sound reluctant but resigned to his fate.

"Good luck, don't catch a disease or anything," said Blaise with a snigger.

"What was that Zabini?" asked Harry angrily.

"Nothing Potter."

"Tell me what you said, or are you just a pussy?" Harry continued.

"Enough," drawled Snape coldly. There was silence as Blaise, Millicent and Pansy all glared at Harry in mutual dislike. Theodore was indifferent as he inspected their ruined potions to find the safest one for Pansy to drink, though the attempt was futile. Draco was ignoring everyone else as he smeared Hermione's Wiggenweld Potion onto his lips, which was warm and had a slightly bittersweet taste. Then he quickly touched his lips to hers, bearing in mind the fact that everyone was watching. Immediately afterwards he wiped his lips in a disgusted fashion, and as he stood up Hermione's eyes fluttered open. Snape asked her a few quick questions like whether she felt any pain, if she was tired, if she could hear and see properly, if she could move all her muscles, and more. She was all good, and he nodded and then walked over to the final group.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	39. Chapter 39

Hermione had a bad feeling about Harry's group before they'd even began the whole drinking process. It was obvious from their potions that something would go wrong, because their potions were all sorts of bizarre green and yellow colours thanks to Harry's sabotage. Everyone crowded around the final group as they prepared, and Pansy was pale from nervousness as she looked at the three horrid potions on the bench in front of her.

"If you've got cold feet, I'm more than happy to take your place," offered Harry, looking amused at her fear but also slightly concerned at the same time.

"Shut up Potter," Pansy snapped, but her feisty attitude had vanished and her voice shook slightly. Theodore pointed to the potion on the right, which was dark green, bubbly and emanating black fumes.

"That seems like the best option of the three, not that any of them are good," he said, almost as if he'd calculated the safety of all three potions and come up with the idea. Snape nodded in agreement before speaking.

"As you should know by now, this subject isn't just about brewing the perfect potion. It is also about identifying foreign potions, understanding how different ingredients react with each other and the human body, and evaluating the danger of potions in a real life context," said Snape, as he nodded in approval for them to continue. Pansy took a deep breath, and began filling up a small flask with the bubbly green potion anxiously. As she did this Harry smeared his lips with his own Wiggenweld Potion, which he'd brewed flawlessly thanks to the Half-Blood Prince book. There was an eerie silence as all eyes were on Pansy. Her pale hand shook as she raised the flask to her mouth, her eyes conveying how badly she wished she didn't have to drink it. After a moment or two however, she quickly tipped a tiny amount of the green liquid into her mouth and swallowed in disgust. After a few moments, her eyes rolled back into her head and she passed out. The flask fell and shattered to the ground before anyone could catch it, and she slumped directly into Harry's arms.

"Tergeo," said Snape, casting the spell to clean away the spare potion that was on the floor. As he did this, Pansy suddenly began to convulse in Harry's arms. In the heat of the moment and having no idea what else to do, Harry kissed her with the Wiggenweld Potion on his lips. The convulsions stopped as the Wiggenweld Potion went to work. The entire room was deathly quiet from shock.

"Everyone go back to your benches and make room. Theodore give her more Wiggenweld Potion, not yours, mine, now!" ordered Snape quickly.

"What just happened, what the hell is going on!" Draco demanded, his eyes fixed on the Slytherin girl who's breathing seemed to have stopped. Harry held Pansy up as Theodore ran to Snape's desk, filled a flask of Snape's Wiggenweld Potion and gently opened her mouth to pour it in. Once this was finished, Snape lifted her like she was a feather and headed for the door.

"Draco come with me to the Hospital Wing, nobody else move, and if I come back to find anyone with a wand out you'll be expelled without hesitation," were Snape's last words before he departed. Draco shot Harry a glare of pure and absolute hatred, before grabbing his bag and following Snape out. The chaos that ensued was typical of their year group: within seconds accusations were shouted around the room. Blaise and Millicent were furious with Harry, and Hermione supposed that they had good reason to be angry. But it wasn't entirely Harry's fault, obviously if Pansy hadn't ruined her own potion and provoked Harry, nothing bad would have happened. She said this aloud to try and defend Harry, and Blaise threw it right back in her face.

"So provocation is an excuse to poison someone so severely they end up convulsing and in the Hospital Wing? What, did McGonagall suddenly change the school rules?" he asked snidely, surprising Hermione slightly. He always acted annoying and stupid, but he sure knew how to whip up an argument.

"No it isn't an excuse, but Pansy's actions contributed to her being poisoned just as much as Harry's. If she hadn't ruined her own potion, she would have been fine," Hermione repeated.

"If Potter hadn't ruined his and Theo's potions, she would have been fine," Blaise countered.

"Exactly my point, they're both equally to blame for what happened," said Hermione in exasperation.

"Pansy is in the Hospital Wing and Potter's fine, there's nothing equal about the outcome."

"Just put the wand down Zabini, you heard Snape," said Ernie, in an attempt to restore order.

"Fuck off Macmillan," snapped Blaise crudely, but he lowered his wand before saying to Harry, "you're going to pay for this, I can guarantee it."

\----------

It didn't take long for half the school to find out what happened, and Hermione took Harry out onto the grounds to get away from the corridors and Slytherin's. They sat down on a hill near Hagrid's hut, and since it was lunch they wouldn't have to go to class for a while. After the final arguments before they left Potions, Harry hadn't spoken much and only just then Hermione realised that he looked rather upset about it.

"What's up? It wasn't your fault, you know that," said Hermione reassuringly.

"But it was," said Harry with a sigh.

"No, it wasn't. It was her fault, she shouldn't have ruined her own potion and she shouldn't have tried to get on your nerves. Everyone else will agree," said Hermione firmly, but this only seemed to make Harry feel worse.

"Everyone else will agree because everyone hates Slytherin and I'm famous, which isn't right. I'm beginning to think that what Lupin said was true," said Harry as he looked towards the Forbidden Forest gloomily. Hermione remembered the conversation she'd had with Lupin about Hogwart's tradition, and how Slytherin would probably be on the receiving end of bullying now that Voldemort was defeated. She understood where Harry was coming from, and perhaps it was unfair if they blamed Pansy for being poisoned.

"Of course what Lupin said was true, and of course it wasn't all Pansy's fault, it was both of you," said Hermione uncertainly.

"But it was ultimately my actions that caused her to be poisoned."

"Harry, you're being too hard on yourself! And besides, I thought you wanted revenge just like Ron and the rest of them?" said Hermione, sounding bewildered.

"Of course I do, but not like that," said Harry in frustration.

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione curiously.

"I mean she didn't deserve it, people like Malfoy deserve that."

"He doesn't!" Hermione disagreed.

"As much as you like him, and as much as he helped us, he has done worst things to us than Parkinson has," said Harry firmly, though he knew that Hermione would just disagree with him anyway.

"How about none of them deserve punishment, how about Voldemort is dead and the war is over and we should move on," Hermione offered.

"Slim chance of moving on now, after what I just did," said Harry. Before Hermione could answer, they heard footsteps coming from behind them and turned around to see Ron as he sat down beside them, with a grin on his face.

"Bloody brilliant! How'd you do it?" Ron immediately asked, but he stopped when he noticed Hermione's disapproving expression.

"I didn't mean it to get this serious. She ruined her own potion and was being annoying as usual, so I ruined mine and Nott's," explained Harry shortly, not wanting to go into details. Ron still looked confused though, since he didn't do Potions and had no idea what the lesson involved.

"Them three were in a group, and one person had to drink a potion as part of the lesson," Hermione filled in quickly.

"Well that's dumb, I've always said Snape was a git. But why are you angry, she deserved it," continued Ron ignorantly.

"You weren't there Ron, it wasn't funny. It was like when you were poisoned in sixth year and I used the bezoar to save you, she was convulsing on the ground in the same way and Merlin knows what's actually happened to her," said Harry as he stood up and started walking away from them. Ron and Hermione hurried after him, and thankfully Ron got the message and was being a little more sensitive about it.

"Well what's done is done, Snape and Madam Pomfrey are geniuses so Parkinson'll be fine, we live happily ever after," Ron began.

"No, because Zabini and Malfoy want revenge," said Harry wearily.

"And what are they gonna do to us, when we have all of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff behind us? Screw those gits. It was an accident," said Ron reassuringly.

"It wasn't an accident, I ruined the potions on purpose, that's the point!" Harry said, beginning to get annoyed.

"But you didn't intend to put anyone's life in danger, that's what makes it an accident," said Ron.

\----------

In the Hospital Wing Pansy was lying down on the bed unconscious. Her expression was calm though, and Draco watched intently from her bedside as her chest rose and fell delicately. All the memories from their first year flooded through his mind, and he was yet again reminded of how important she was to him. She had always been his best friend, the one person he could confide in, the one person he could always rely on, and the first girl he'd ever loved. Yet here she was, unconscious in a hospital bed with an unknown illness because of Potter. Draco glanced over at Snape and Pomfrey who were whispering to each other, holding up different healing potions and deciding what to do. They had already cast a spell on her and tipped a potion into her mouth the moment she arrived into the Hospital Wing, and that helped relax her body, but she was still pale and unconscious, and didn't appear healthy at all.

"How is she? Have they done anything?" asked Blaise suddenly, causing Draco to turn in surprise and realise that the Hospital Wing door was left open. Theodore was also there.

"Yeah, they gave her a potion and did some spell. Now they're just talking," muttered Draco.

"Potter's fucked for this," said Blaise, looking at Draco expectantly. It was usually Draco who initiated some sort of revenge scheme on the Golden Trio in their earlier years, and the rest of the Slytherin's just followed his lead. When he didn't reply, Blaise continued.

"Draco?"

"I know," snapped Draco, not looking away from Pansy.

"So what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. It can't be obvious, no one can find out. Something related to Quidditch," said Draco quietly.

"Quidditch never works, don't you remember what happened when we dressed up as Dementor's?" said Blaise in annoyance.

"That was just a joke, this isn't a joke. He put Pansy in the Hospital Wing, I'm putting him in here. Whatever happens to her will happen to him, only worse," said Draco vehemently.

"And if she dies?" asked Blaise worriedly, glancing at the pale complexion of her face.

"She won't," said Draco firmly.

"And what about you? You with us or not?" demanded Blaise, turning to Theodore.

"I'll help get revenge, for Pansy's sake. But as I said before, I'm not your little sheep any more," stated Theodore.

"You were never a sheep, we all stuck together because we were friends," said Draco.

"You didn't care about friendship, all you've ever been is a spoiled brat who used people to get what you wanted. Vincent and Greg were never your friends, they were your henchmen. After all we'd been through, you ran off and joined the Death Eaters. It's thanks to you that every other house hates us, it's thanks to you Pansy is on that bed," Theodore was saying furiously, having clearly held this grudge for a long time, but before he finished the sentence Draco had punched him square in the jaw. Before Theo could react Blaise had stood in the middle of them, hands outstretched.

"This your new bodyguard?" asked Theo sarcastically as he held his jaw.

"I'll accept some of what you said, but don't ever blame me for what happened to Pansy," said Draco fiercely. He considered bringing up what Theo had said about him joining the Death Eaters, but decided against it with Madam Pomfrey and Blaise there.

"Who's to blame then?" Theodore scoffed.

"Potter, you idiot!" shouted Draco.

"Do you think Potter would have done that to any other house? Has Potter ever done anything to a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? No, because he hates Slytherin, because he hates you!" accused Theodore angrily.

"Because he's the Boy-Who-Fucking-Lived and his entire purpose for living was to kill You-Know-Who, it had nothing to do with me being a twelve year old bully!" shouted Draco furiously.

"Guys calm down," said Blaise, pushing them apart a bit.

"It had everything to do with you being a bully!"

"You were just like the rest of us anyway, you hypocrite!"

"That's because at a young age you follow the house you're in, but I've had enough of your shit now," said Theodore, with a hint of finality in his tone. It was only then that the students realised that Snape and Pomfrey were watching them in shock. With that Theodore stormed out of the room.

\----------

Next lesson was Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherin's. After the morning events in Potions tensions were running high in both houses and Hermione was rather anxious to see how things would play out. Lupin must have already heard about what happened, because he was waiting outside his classroom wearily when the Gryffindor's arrived first. Theodore was the first Slytherin to arrive, and everyone noticed the slight swelling and bruising around his jaw but he didn't say anything so nobody commented. At last the rest of the Slytherin's arrived, glaring pointedly at Harry.

"I know what happened this morning, and let me get one thing clear: what happens outside my classroom, stays outside my classroom. I hear one word, one whisper relating to what happened, you will get an immediate detention," began Lupin bluntly.

"McGonagall said Snape couldn't hand out detentions," said Blaise.

"And I'm not Snape, Mr Zabini. All Slytherin's sit on the left of the room, Gryffindor's sit on the right. Don't talk, don't even look at each other until I'm confident you can behave like adults, understood?" asked Lupin, and everyone nodded grudgingly. As they walked into the room, Draco reluctantly moved towards Theodore.

"Pomfrey says to go to the Hospital Wing," he said, pointing at his jaw.

"Fuck off," was Theodore's immediate reply.

"Suit yourself," Draco snapped, sitting down with Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle in their own row of seats. Theodore sat by himself at the back, and Hermione sat with Harry, Ron and Neville, after watching the little encounter between the Slytherin's. She was dying to find out what was going on between Draco and Theodore, and whether Pansy was alright, and whether they were going to get revenge on Harry or not. There were many unanswered questions, but Lupin started the lesson immediately and gave them no chance to dwell on the past.

"I think the best start to Defence Against the Dark Arts, especially at your age, is facing boggarts," said Lupin with a grin. Some people groaned, and others looked excited at the idea.

"It's been what, three or four years since you last had me and we did boggarts? I want you all to remember what your boggart was, what your greatest fear was, and now think about whether it has changed. At the age of thirteen your fears are quite simple and typical: spiders, snakes, monsters..." Lupin was saying.

"Dementor's," said Draco, with a slight smirk. It was just loud enough for everyone to hear, and Hermione gave him an angry glare.

"Point proven," muttered Theodore from behind him.

"And Dementor's, since some people's memories are so horrific, the prospect of reliving such memories are their greatest fear," said Lupin, as though what Draco said was a genuine idea and not an insult toward Harry.

"Can anyone remember the spell used to combat a boggart?" asked Lupin, though before he had finished the sentence Hermione's hand was in the air. He smiled and nodded towards her.

"The spell is a charm and the incantation is 'Riddikulus', however the incantation and wand movement alone won't affect the boggart. In order for the charm to have any effect, the person must concentrate on changing their fear into something amusing or different," said Hermione rapidly.

"Very good Hermione. And can a boggart ever be killed or truly defeated?" Lupin continued, hoping to get an answer from someone else. Only Hermione raised her hand though, so he nodded to her again.

"No, boggarts can never be killed or truly defeated because they are amortal beings, meaning that they have never died, cannot die and were never alive to begin with, a state of non-being. Using the Riddikulus charm only temporarily confounds them," said Hermione, causing a few Slytherin's to roll their eyes at her.

"Brilliant explanation! And that pretty much sums up boggarts, they are peculiar creatures that are not exactly a threat, but we must still know how to defend ourselves against them. In the wardrobe at the back of the room is a boggart, and we will be taking turns to face it. So can everyone please move the desks and chairs to the sides of the room, and we can begin," ordered Lupin, gesturing towards the large wardrobe that nobody had actually paid any attention to. Everyone got up and began moving the desks and chairs, and once that was complete, stood around the wardrobe hesitantly.

"Wands out, and form a line in Slytherin-Gryffindor order behind me," Lupin instructed, causing the students to groan as they went in that order. People who went straight to the front included Harry, Ron, Neville, Theodore, Crabbe and Goyle, who all looked fairly confident. Hermione followed Draco and Blaise to the very back and placed herself between them, determined to get answers. After glancing at Draco and noticing how pale he was, she was suddenly worried about what his boggart would become. Would it be Voldemort, or something he'd never told her about?

"I will begin to demonstrate. As you all know I am a werewolf, so the boggart should change into a full moon," said Lupin, as though this were normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone watched in excitement as he pointed his wand at the wardrobe and cast a silent spell to unlock it. Out of the wardrobe came the black swirling figure that was the shapeless boggart, and then it suddenly whirled and changed, constantly shape-shifting into new blurs. At last it stopped and to everyone's shock, there lay Tonks with a baby in her arms, both pale and dead. There was a deathly silence as Lupin stiffened. There was nothing amusing about what they were seeing, and Hermione knew that you couldn't change it into anything amusing either.

"Riddikulus!" shouted Lupin, and the result was priceless. Tonks awoke with a smile and said, "April fools!" and the baby was laughing delightedly, before the boggart warped back to blackness and was sent smashing back into the wardrobe with considerable force. Everyone in the class cheered and clapped at that and the previous tension was lifted.

"Well, that was unexpected. Now imagine if I wasn't a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, I would have been a mess!" said Lupin with a smile, although it was half-hearted and he did look a bit shaken up. Next up was Goyle, who was grinning slightly as if he knew what his was already. The boggart came out and changed into an empty plate with no food, and Goyle waved his wand and changed it into a gigantic plate with all of the nicest desserts imaginable, causing everyone to laugh. Ron's was a huge spider again, like in their third year. Crabbe's was the sight of himself falling, and he changed it so that he fell onto a broom in mid-air and flew back into the wardrobe. Hermione was surprised by their imagination, and the fact that Crabbe was afraid of heights yet he still played Quidditch. Harry's was inevitably a dementor, and he used Expecto Patronum to force it back into the wardrobe which caused everyone but the Slytherin's to cheer and clap. Neville's fear wasn't Snape any more, it was Hogwart's on fire, and he waved his wand to change the fire into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes fireworks, causing everyone, including the Slytherin's this time, to cheer and clap. Down the line it kept going, with everyone succeeding. In Parvati's third year it had been a giant bandaged mummy, however this time the boggart changed into the lifeless body of her twin sister, Padma. She dropped her wand and burst into tears, shocked and unable to look away from the nightmarish vision she was seeing. The lesson had to be temporarily stopped and Parvati taken to the Hospital Wing to get a calming potion.

"As you can see, as you grow up your fears may change and mature. Instead of being afraid of Egyptian mummies, Parvati's greatest fear changed to that of losing her twin. Due to the Wizarding War, my own fear changed to losing my wife and child. I might add, if the boggart changes into a dead person and you cannot think of anything amusing, which is understandable, simply step back and let the next person have their turn," said Lupin, before continuing the lesson. It gradually got closer and closer to Blaise, Hermione and Draco, who were the final three in that order. For Blaise the boggart turned into the Slytherin banner in the Great Hall in flames, and he was so shocked that he used Aquamenti to put the fire out without realising it was fake, drenching the wardrobe. Then he used Riddikulus to get rid of the fire and restore the banner. Hermione was surprised at how important his house must have been to him, but before she could dwell on that, it was her turn.

She stepped forward nervously, and watched as the boggart warped and changed almost immediately into herself lying on the ground in Malfoy Manor with the words "mudblood" cut into her forearms, and Bellatrix Lestrange standing above her, wand at the ready. Lupin jumped in front of her and caused it to change to Tonks and his baby again, before shouting Riddikulus to send it flying back into the wardrobe. There was a shocked silence as Hermione took a deep breath and shakily put her wand away. She turned and glanced at Draco, who looked even more pale than before, as she walked over to Harry, Ron and the other Gryffindor's.

"Hermione, can I have a word with you after the lesson please?" asked Lupin in concern, and Hermione nodded.

"And now for our last one!" announced Lupin to divert the attention away from Hermione, and he nodded to Draco as he unlocked the wardrobe again. The boggart wafted out slowly and seemed to take forever as it transformed from various indescribable shapes, and nobody knew what was taking so long, and Hermione noticed Draco's wand hand beginning to shake. She didn't know whether he was nervous because he knew what was coming, or because he didn't know what was coming. Suddenly the boggart stopped on the same scenario that Hermione herself had feared only a minute previously, except the Hermione on the ground was screaming in pain from what could only have been the Cruciatus curse.

"Expulso!" Draco shouted immediately, and the explosion spell shot through the image of the boggart and blasted the wardrobe behind it into thousands of pieces. A shockwave went through the room from the impact, knocking some people backwards into each other, and the boggart vanished in a puff of black smoke. Tiny pieces of broken wood fell to the ground all around the classroom as the students were left in a stunned silence.

"Where did the boggart go?" asked Hermione curiously, to break the silence.

"To another hiding place, because its wardrobe is gone. Destroying a boggart's hiding place is a last resort for those who are desperate. I would like you to stay after class as well, Mr Malfoy," said Lupin sternly.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	40. Chapter 40

As the rest of the class filed out of the room Draco and Hermione were getting quite a few peculiar looks, and Draco couldn't help but mentally scold himself for what had happened. He should have just told Lupin to skip his turn and not let the boggart show his fear. The problem was though, he had no idea what it was going to become. He thought perhaps Voldemort, or maybe Azkaban, but at the same time he had an inkling that it could be related to the muggle-born girl he'd become so recently infatuated with. It would be close to impossible to lie his way out of what his boggart had shown. The only positive thing he could think of was the fact that Pansy hadn't seen it, but he'd have time to worry about her later. For the moment he had to deal with Lupin, who looked completely flabbergasted.

"I'm still trying to process what I just saw. These fears of yours, tell me about them," Lupin said curiously.

"I don't have time for a heartfelt chat, but thanks for the offer," said Draco sarcastically, turning for the door and hoping that he'd be able to leave.

"I wasn't asking, Mr Malfoy. This is part of my lesson," said Lupin firmly.

"Well your lesson's over, isn't it?" said Draco snidely as he turned back around.

"Then we can proceed in detention time, if that suits you better?" countered Lupin. Draco dropped his bag in frustration and stayed where he was, deciding to just get it over with. There was an awkward silence and Hermione knew that Draco wouldn't speak, reminding her of his traditional immaturity and inability to show his weaknesses. So she took a deep breath and began.

"Well, when I was at Malfoy Manor Bellatrix tortured me. I never want to experience that again," said Hermione simply.

"That doesn't explain why Malfoy feared the same thing, unless you fear specifically Bellatrix?" asked Lupin.

"I'm not afraid of Bellatrix, I hate her," spat Draco furiously.

"Then what was it? You fear seeing Hermione in pain? I know you helped the Order for a while and you may have matured somewhat, but I'm sorry, that still seems incredibly uncharacteristic of you," said Lupin with a bewildered expression. Draco hesitated slightly, not knowing what to say.

"I guess we just both fear the memory of being there," said Hermione quickly.

"That's not how it works. Fear and memory are separate, if you feared that memory the boggart would change into a dementor like it does for Harry, not the image of you being tortured. The main difference is in Hermione's fear, she had 'mudblood' cut into her arms. You don't just fear Bellatrix, you also fear being labelled as subhuman and treated as such. In Malfoy's fear he were screaming, so he fears, in essence, the idea of you being in pain. It is also possible to fear someone you hate, and so his boggart may also be mainly about Bellatrix. It's rare for boggart's to present such complex fears, and it's often the result of very recent and traumatic experiences."

"I've had enough of listening to you act like some sort of psychologist, you don't know anything about me, I'm done here," Draco fumed, as he grabbed his bag and started for the door again.

"Psychology is a muggle profession not a magical one, how do you know what that is?" asked Lupin curiously, not bothering to threaten him with detentions any more because it just didn't work.

"I read it in a book," sneered Draco, his voice laced with sarcasm.

"Hermione must have told you about it, and so you're both keeping something from me," Lupin mused.

"Does it matter? If we were it wouldn't be any of your business, would it?" snapped Draco.

"My students are my business, and if this secret you two have is affecting the education of the cohort, I have every right to inquire."

"If it's a secret than it's not affecting anyone!" said Draco in exasperation.

"Every student in my Defence Against the Dark Arts class just saw Hermione lying on the ground being tortured by a well known psychotic Death Eater, not just from her boggart, but from yours. And your entire year group will know about it by tonight, because that's how Hogwarts works," continued Lupin sternly. There was a long silence as it became clear that Lupin wanted some sort of explanation and truth, and it also became clear that Draco was definitely not going to give it. Hermione rolled her eyes at him as she took a deep breath and thought carefully about how to answer.

"Voldemort had us captive in Malfoy Manor, and we escaped together. From that moment forth we... saw past our differences and became friends," she said simply, which was essentially the truth but with a vast majority of information left out. Draco didn't say a word while she spoke but looked rather crestfallen, and Lupin figured that it meant she was telling the truth. He was truly surprised as they were the most unlikely pair of individuals he had ever met to see past their inherent differences. The situation reminded him of Snape and Lily, which intrigued him.

"Great, are we done here?" said Draco in an attempt to break the silence which ensued.

"Who else knows about this 'friendship' of yours?" asked Lupin curiously.

"Most of the Order knows we tolerated each other over the summer holidays, not to the real extent though. Only you and Harry. Ron and Ginny were a bit suspicious over the summer," said Hermione.

"And Snape knows," said Draco bitterly, reminding Hermione that it was Snape who had caught them almost kiss at The Burrow as well. Lupin knew that he would have to have a word with Snape about it. It was a strange coincidence and Snape must have been just as confounded by it as he was.

"Well then you're not finished here, because I'm assuming you're going to need some sort of story to cover this mess up," said Lupin. "Unless you want the whole school to know you're friends now?"

"No," said Draco quickly.

"We don't want anyone finding out yet," said Hermione carefully.

"What she said, yep, a cover up sounds good," Draco nodded in agreement, smirking as he noticed Lupin's annoyance at his sudden cooperation.

\----------

The next lesson Harry, Ron and the other Gryffindor's were with the Hufflepuff's for Transfiguration. Word had already spread over what had happened in Potions and outside the Transfiguration room the entire group had obtained the opinion that she deserved it for ruining her own potion, and simply because she was in Slytherin. It meant that Harry was safe from being attacked over it, however he still couldn't rid himself of the guilt. If anything, the support from everyone else intensified the guilt he felt for what he'd done to a girl who, despite being blatantly mean and frustratingly annoying, didn't really deserve what had happened to her. Professor McGonagall's presence created an immediate silence for the majority of the lesson, but that didn't stop Ron from talking.

"What d'you think Lupin and them are talking about? What the hell was Malfoy's boggart too, why was Hermione in it?" Ron rambled, glancing at the entrance to the classroom every few seconds as though someone would come in to give him the answers.

"I dunno, it was probably just his fear of Bellatrix or something," said Harry quietly, preoccupied with thinking about his own actions.

"Maybe. I don't like that Hermione was in it though. He's probably going to want revenge, you know that right?" Ron continued sceptically.

"I know," said Harry.

"So we need to think of a plan."

"I don't want to talk about it right now," snapped Harry.

"What d'you mean? We've got Quidditch coming up, you know the git will try something then," Ron insisted.

"To be honest I'd feel safer on a broom than on the ground if he was plotting something anyway, so let him try," said Harry with a shrug.

"Got that right, he can't fly straight if his life depended on it," Ron was saying in amusement, but the slam of a textbook on their table caused them to both jump in fright and turn to look behind them.

"As much as I love hearing about the Slytherin house lose in Quidditch, if I hear one more word about the sport from either of you in my class again I'll give you double the homework you already have. Perhaps then you'll actually achieve higher than a mere 'Acceptable'," said Professor McGonagall sternly, eliciting some quiet laughter from the rest of the class as Ron's ears went red. Both students muttered grudging, 'sorry professor...'s as she moved back to the front of the class and resumed the lesson. They were mostly revising topics from last year, which was technically their sixth year, to trigger their memories before moving onto seventh year work. As the lesson ended and people began packing their things and filing out, Professor Snape strode in.

"Potter, stay. Weasley go," he said firmly. A few heads turned in surprise and Ron looked reluctant to leave, but eventually they were all gone and Harry was left alone with the two teachers who had been murmuring quietly together. He knew it was about Pansy.

"Tell me you didn't intend for miss Parkinson to be in the Hospital Wing, Mr Potter," began Professor McGonagall with a sigh.

"I didn't, I was just angry and I ruined some potions to get back at her. I had no idea that this would happen," Harry said quickly, and honestly.

"But it did happen, and if she doesn't improve within the next forty-eight hours we'll be forced to send her to St. Mungo's. If a Slytherin student had done this to a Gryffindor student they would already be packing their bags and be on the first train home. You and Albus have been protecting him, and all of Gryffindor for that matter, since he set foot in this castle and this is the last straw Minerva, this absolutely warrants punishment," said Snape, his voice almost shaking because he was so angry.

"I understand Severus, and I intend to run this school from a neutral perspective. From the moment miss Parkinson is able to return to class, she and Mr Potter will have one weeks' worth of daily detentions together, and after that Harry will continue for another week of daily detentions by himself. I'll decide if more punishment is required after that," said Professor McGonagall after a long think. Harry felt slightly crestfallen, but having a few weeks worth of detentions was nothing new to him. He could deal with that.

"You're going to force a sick girl who will already have missed enough classes, to do a week of detentions for something that he inflicted upon her?" spat Snape.

"For something that she partly inflicted upon herself, you and I both know that Severus, let's not sugarcoat it. Potter gets double the punishment, and all of their detentions will be with you. That is final," snapped Professor McGonagall, as she turned and walked out of the classroom without another word. There was an awkward silence as Harry began packing his bag hurriedly.

"She's in a temporary magically-induced coma while her body fights the poison from the potion. If she ends up in St. Mungo's, you'll be doing far more than two weeks, I can guarantee that," said Snape as he strode out of the room.

\----------

Draco and Hermione left the Defence Against the Dark Arts class without having thought of any cover up story at all. One of Lupin's younger classes had come in for their lesson which forced them to leave, and there really wasn't any way to cover up what everyone else had seen anyway, no matter how much they thought about it. All they could do was lie. The only thing Draco could think to do was to simply deny that it was Hermione and continuously say that it was his mother on the ground being tortured by Bellatrix. Perhaps if he kept saying this, eventually it would be believed. He was a good enough liar to pull it off, after all. As the two of them neared the Eighth Year dormitory to get their books out for the lesson which they were currently late for, the short bushy-haired Gryffindor stood in front of the door and blocked the way.

"Are you going to get back at Harry?" she asked.

"Yes," said Draco after a short pause. He decided to just be honest with her, even if she didn't like what he planned to do.

"Why?" Hermione demanded.

"Because he hurt one of my friends and I'm going to do what I've always done. I'm not going to let my relationship with you make me go soft," said Draco firmly. He knew the words would make her furious, but they were the honest truth. His friend didn't deserve what happened to her, he'd always hated Harry, and he was doing what he thought was right.

"Go soft? That's what you're worried about, looking tough to your friends?" asked Hermione incredulously.

"No, I'm worried about my best friend who's in the Hospital Wing and won't wake up. How would you feel if Crabbe or Goyle did this to Harry, or Ginny or someone else you've known since you were a kid?" asked Draco, attempting to make her understand where he was coming from.

"I would feel angry, maybe I would want revenge, but I would have the self control and decency not to act on it and to do the right thing," snapped Hermione.

"Well I'm not a decent person and I protect my own," said Draco in annoyance.

"You are a decent person. I can't believe you're saying these things, we went through this months ago," said Hermione angrily. There was a pause as they briefly reminisced on all of the similar situations that they'd experienced whilst at The Burrow and hunting for horcruxes.

"Whatever. It doesn't matter, I can't just do nothing. And knowing McGonagall, he probably won't even get into trouble for it," Draco continued bitterly.

"He will get into trouble, Professor McGonagall said she was running the school neutrally this year," argued Hermione.

"Which is a load of crap, she's always favoured Gryffindor."

"Just like Snape has always favoured Slytherin. What are you trying to prove with all this?" asked Hermione in exasperation.

"I'm not trying to prove anything, Potter is the one who caused all of this shit, not me!" Draco nearly shouted. Thankfully students were in class and nobody was around to hear them arguing.

"Well he's my friend and I'm always going to support him and protect him," said Hermione fiercely.

"And that's exactly what I'm doing for my friends. Pansy isn't any less important because she's in Slytherin or because you don't like her," snapped Draco.

"I didn't say that, I'm saying that you don't have to get revenge! You could be expelled," said Hermione.

"If Potter doesn't get expelled for what he did, I can't get expelled either," said Draco calmly. There was another brief pause as Hermione shook her head and contemplated what to say next.

"So you don't even care any more? You're just going to revert back to doing what you always used to do?" she asked.

"Of course I care! Merlin Granger this is just one little thing, we're only a week into the school year. I hate Potter, not you."

"He's my best friend, if you hate him then you indirectly hate me."

"You hate Pansy and she's my best friend, I don't hold that against you," said Draco in frustration.

"I don't hate anyone, hate is never the answer."

"It's an emotion just like happiness, everyone feels it regardless of whether they want to or not," Draco scoffed.

"Oh my god, you make me so angry!" hissed Hermione, causing Draco to smirk and try not to laugh.

"Don't laugh! This isn't funny," Hermione continued irritably.

"Just relax. By getting revenge it'll probably just be me telling Crabbe to hit a bludger at Potter in Quidditch. Same old harmless rivalry, nobody will be surprised," said Draco with a shrug.

"Harmless?" Hermione snorted, "there is nothing harmless about a cannon-ball sized rock colliding with a human skull."

"I'm sure he'll take care of himself. Now, thanks to you blocking me from getting my books and going to class, like the bully that you are, I've missed out on Charms," said Draco with a dramatic sigh. Hermione smiled briefly, despite the fact that they'd just been arguing and that she was still adamantly against what he was doing. She still couldn't get over how differently his mind worked and how differently he saw things in comparison to her, which was yet another quality which made him all the more intriguing. There was a lengthy pause in which they both momentarily forgot about the argument, forgot about Harry, Hogwarts and the world, and were about to embrace. It was short lived however, as Hermione cut herself out of it and thought rationally again.

"Well he's my best friend, and if he gets hurt I'll never forgive you," she said firmly. Draco seemed disappointed when the subject returned to Harry again, but nodded nonetheless.

"I completely understand. In case you'd forgotten, my best friend has been gravely hurt, and hence the reason for my passionate desire for justice," Draco began in amusement.

"Yes, I understand that as well, but..." Hermione sighed, not knowing what to say or where to go from there. There was simply no way of agreeing in the situation that they were in. Their friends hated each other, and they were inevitably stuck in between. All they could really do was agree to disagree, let the inevitable happen and aim to not let anything like this happen again in the future.

"As I said, just relax and let whatever happens happen. My head hurts thinking about all of this, and the rest of them are going to be here any second," said Draco grudgingly, since the last period was over and dinner was being prepared in the Great Hall as they spoke. Most of the grade would stop by at the common room to drop off their bags before going to have dinner, and just as Draco said it the first few Ravenclaw's walked down the hallway. Hermione opened the door and walked into the common room, with only a backward glance at Draco, as if they hadn't just been talking.

\----------

That night, the common room was consumed with talk about what had happened during the day. Harry, Ron and Hermione were huddled up around the fire with some others such as Neville, Padma and Ernie, having no desire to converse about Harry poisoning Pansy or Hermione being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange. Of course, avoiding such fascinating discussions so early in the school year was absolutely impossible. And it was especially impossible when Harry continuously received dirty looks from every Slytherin in the room. Arguments inevitably began forming, and Ron got up to join in with the shouting despite Hermione's disapproval.

"Honestly, if she really did ruin her own potion, then she deserved what happened to her," said Parvati loudly, causing Harry to cringe as he knew it would somehow backfire on him.

"She might end up in St. Mungo's thanks to Potter, so how about you think before you speak!" Blaise said furiously, shooting daggers at Parvati.

"It wasn't Harry's fault, he even offered to drink it if she got cold feet. I think if we look at it objectively, they were both in the wrong," said Padma, as though she were writing an essay on the topic. This inflamed Blaise even further.

"Just because he offered, that doesn't take away the fact that by ruining two potions, which in itself should have warranted a detention, he directly had her poisoned," argued Blaise.

"Well it does, because it was her decision to drink the potion, nobody forced her, so it's nobody else's fault," Padma replied.

"She drank it because she isn't a coward," growled Blaise.

"No, she drank it because she's stupid," said Ron with a laugh.

"Coming from someone who couldn't even get into Advanced Potions, yeah good one idiot," Blaise snapped back. Ron's ears went their typical red and the fight between them began to escalate dangerously, until Hermione and Ernie decided to defuse it. Harry knew that it would eventually either spiral out of control or force him to join in, neither of which he wanted to happen. He got up from beside the fire and walked straight out of the room. The difference was incredible, inside was bright and loud and headache-inducing, whereas in the dungeon corridors it was cold, dark and strangely calming. In fact, he'd only been in the school for a few days and the dungeons were already beginning to grow on him a bit, but perhaps he was just happy to be back at Hogwarts. He was barely noticed as he left the common room, just as hardly anyone noticed that Draco was nowhere to be seen either. Harry assumed that he was at the Hospital Wing, checking up on Pansy, and wished with all his heart that she would wake and be fine again. The faster she recovered, the faster everyone would forget about what happened... hopefully. And also, the faster he could apologise to her in person, as he intended to. How, when and where, he wasn't sure. Why? He wasn't sure about that either. He just knew that he had to do it, for reasons he hadn't yet figured out.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	41. Chapter 41

After dinner Draco went straight to the Hospital Wing. Blaise offered to go with him but he insisted that he go alone, as he wanted to ensure that if Pansy was awake he could explain everything that had happened since she was asleep, in his own words. He didn't want her finding out from the wrong person that his greatest fear was seeing Hermione Granger in pain. He would begin his master plan of lies and deception with Pansy. This master plan simply involved him saying it was his mother Narcissa in his boggart, not Hermione. When he finally arrived at the Hospital Wing door, he took a deep breath, waited a few moments and then walked inside. Over in the corner of the wing was Pansy, thankfully sitting upright in bed eating dinner under golden lamplight. A small house elf stood beside her proudly, and she looked incredibly happy. As he approached her, she beamed.

"About time you visited! I swear the best part about being in the Hospital Wing is house elves, I feel like a princess," Pansy squeaked cheerfully.

"Why you are a princess, miss!" the female house elf squeaked, sounding almost just like her. Pansy smiled brightly.

"Don't get too excited, you almost look like Granger with her S.P.E.W badges," Draco said with a smirk as he reached her and sat in the bedside chair. Pansy burst out laughing, momentarily putting down her knife and fork to catch her breath.

"Miss Hermione is a good witch, I hope you don't mean to insult her!" squeaked the house elf, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Truth be told, the only thing I have ever liked about that mudblood was her silly love of house elves, because they're adorable. For your sake Winky, I won't say anything mean about her though," said Pansy as she continued eating. The elf frowned at the word mudblood, but Pansy's compliment seemed to make up for it.

"You always were too fond of Dobby when you came over for the summer, it was probably the weirdest thing about you," said Draco in amusement.

"You were always too cruel to him! Well, no, your dad was more cruel I think," Pansy paused to think about it.

"Yeah, father was worse."

"Yep. Well, I'm alive! Aren't you excited?" Pansy said, almost jumping out of her bed in giddiness. Draco raised an eyebrow, realising that she was acting more bubbly than usual.

"I'm a bit high on some energy potion Pomfrey gave me, it was supposed to help me wake up but then I woke up by myself, so now it's just making my hyper," Pansy explained with very fast words, reading his facial expression immediately. It made him realise yet again how well they knew each other.

"When did you wake up?" asked Draco curiously.

"About an hour and a half ago," Pansy replied proudly, as though it were some sort of record for being the fastest to wake up out of a magical coma.

"Good, Snape said if you were asleep any longer than forty-eight hours you'd have been sent to St Mungo's," said Draco worriedly.

"Lucky I'm awake then! So, tell me everything I missed!" said Pansy quickly as she continued eating.

"Me and the others are plotting to get revenge on Potter. Our Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with Lupin was a boggart lesson. My boggart was my mother being tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange, some Gryffindor's are saying it was Granger but they're lying. Quidditch tryouts are next week and I'll make sure you, Greg, Vince and Blaise are on the team. Also next monday is my Potions thing," Draco listed quickly, playing along with Pansy's temporarily hyperactive mood.

"Wow your boggart was Narcissa? That's horrible! Why on earth would those gits say it's the mudblood? And good because I really want to beat Potter this year. And you don't sound very enthusiastic about the Potions thing," answered Pansy rapidly. Draco grinned as he prepared himself for the night-long discussion which was inevitably about to unfold, realising that as long as he still had his Slytherin friends, the year at Hogwarts wouldn't be so bad after all.

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Harry walked out of the common room with the Invisibility cloak, feeling a sense of nostalgia as the icy night air cut through the fabric of his pyjamas and his feet were silent against the tiles of the corridors. It had been years since he last sneaked out of the common room to go do something against the school rules. The thing he was planning to do made his heart pound from nervousness. He still didn't know why he was going to do it. He supposed it was just the right thing to do, and he still couldn't rid himself of the guilt. It didn't take long to arrive at the Hospital Wing, as it was on the first floor and his new common room was in the dungeons. He stood outside the entrance, tucked the Invisibility cloak tighter around himself and walked inside. He saw Pansy at the far end of the Hospital Wing, sitting up wide awake in bed, her face illuminated by a dull night lamp. He froze in his spot, not exactly expecting to see her awake and finding himself unsure of how to approach her. It was a good thing that she was awake, the plan was to say sorry after all. He watched as she tucked a strand of messy jet back hair behind her ear, sighed, and closed whatever book she was attempting to read.

She's mean, narcissistic and is a git to everyone around her. You're here to apologise for almost accidentally seriously injuring her, that's it, Harry thought to himself firmly. He took a deep breath and pulled the cloak off of himself, but the Slytherin girl didn't notice him, as she was staring at nothing in particular. She actually looked nice when she didn't have a sneer plastered to her face.

"Lumos," Harry muttered, lighting up his wand and casting a blue-white glow across the Hospital Wing. Pansy jumped in surprise and screamed briefly, but when she saw that it was just him, she relaxed and frowned.

"What on earth are you doing?" she hissed.

"Why the hell did you scream?" snapped Harry in response.

"Because some stranger materialised out of thin air at one o'clock in the morning, that's why! You didn't answer my question Potter," said Pansy as she glared at him.

"I'm here to apologise. Pretend you're alone," said Harry quickly as he threw the Invisibility cloak back over himself. As he vanished on the spot, Pansy looked rather intrigued at what he'd said and was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"Are you okay dear? Is anyone here?" the elderly lady asked.

"No I'm fine, it was just a dream," Pansy lied with a highly convincing dazed voice and expression.

"Okay. Well you let me know if you need anything," said Madam Pomfrey as she returned to her room. Once she was inside and had closed the door, Harry waited a few more moments and then pulled the cloak off again.

"Lumos," he muttered a second time, causing Pansy to flinch slightly at the bright light but she didn't scream. As he moved over to her she was smirking.

"So you came all this way in the middle of the night just to apologise to me?" she asked smugly.

"Well I wasn't going to do it in front of everyone else," said Harry defensively.

"And what if I tell everyone?" Pansy mused.

"You won't and besides, I haven't even done it yet and that's not the only reason I came," said Harry firmly.

"Well, I'm waiting," said Pansy, with the hint of a smile as Harry rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry for ruining the potions, which indirectly almost put you in St. Mungos," said Harry, choosing his words carefully and putting emphasis on the fact that it wasn't entirely his fault. She caught on immediately and grinned.

"I'll take your apology into consideration. And why else did you come?" she asked curiously.

"You won't like what's coming next," said Harry.

"I doubt it's worse than having a Gryffindor come see me in the middle of the night," sneered Pansy, although it sounded more like a friendly joke than an actual insult.

"Professor McGonagall gave me two weeks of detention, and you one week, with Snape. It starts as soon as you're able to go to class again," said Harry, expecting her to be furious. Her eyes definitely narrowed at first and she looked rather annoyed, but her face immediately transformed into a stunning smile.

"Oh well, it's not like I haven't been in detention before," she said with a cheery shrug.

"I know you're acting," Harry said, unconvinced.

"I'm not acting, wanna know why? Because if you're telling the truth, I'm going to make your life hell during those detentions," said Pansy, her eyes glowing with dark amusement.

"No need, I'm sure Snape'll do that just fine," said Harry grudgingly.

"So, why did you really come here?" asked Pansy curiously.

"Because it was the right thing to do."

"No, that's not why. That's what you tell yourself, but there's always a hidden agenda," continued Pansy knowingly.

"Not everyone acts in Slytherin-like self interest, actually," said Harry irritably, causing her to laugh derisively.

"Everyone acts out of self interest, it's human nature," Pansy stated.

"Okay then if you're so smart, what is my 'hidden agenda'?" asked Harry, feeling rather annoyed at being held up when he probably should have been leaving.

"I'm not claiming to be smart, but I know boys. And I know that your agenda is either: you feel guilty and you've come here to relieve that guilt, which is still self interest as your motivation is still to benefit yourself, not just me. Or you like me and this is an excuse to talk to me without anyone finding out. Or perhaps it's both reasons," Pansy concluded with a smirk.

"It's obviously the first one," said Harry as he folded his arms dismissively.

"I'm sure," Pansy replied with an unconvinced smirk.

"Whatever, believe what you want to believe," Harry snapped.

"Oh I will," Pansy purred, an undeniably seductive tone which Harry was momentarily spellbound by. For a split second all he could think about was how genuinely beautiful she was, when she wasn't sneering. Her green eyes glittered like emeralds in the lamplight, her glossy straight black hair like onyx.

"I never knew that 'The Boy Who Lived' was capable of ogling a Slytherin girl," Pansy went on.

"I'm not ogling, I'm just tired," Harry said quickly.

"Okay then, believe what you want to believe," Pansy mimicked him in amusement.

"I will. Have fun reading your Potions textbook, not that it'll help," he said to change the subject, as he noticed that she'd been reading it when he came in. Pansy laughed at the obvious jest behind his words as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, appearing completely at ease with the situation. There was a short, contemplative silence as they took each other in. What on earth was going on? They were meant to ardently hate each other as their Houses mandated, not casually chat at one o'clock in the morning. Pansy was about to speak again but the sound of footsteps resounded throughout the Hospital Wing, and within a heartbeat the Gryffindor boy had vanished as swiftly as he'd appeared.

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Days passed since Harry's midnight adventure and the atmosphere of Hogwarts began to settle down, despite the events which had occurred. Everyone continued going to class and doing their homework, and by saturday of the first week of school the Eighth Year common room had finally developed a sense of routine and commonality. Hermione had hopes that perhaps they had overcome their initial 'House warfare', but she knew that it was only because Pansy was still in the Hospital Wing and Draco was frequently absent to keep her company. Those two key Slytherin's were often the cause of most conflict, as Pansy constantly bitched and moaned and everyone just hated Draco due to his reputation. In addition, they seemed the two most stereotypically Slytherin by nature. Without them, Blaise, Theo, Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle often stayed in their bedchambers and didn't come out to the actual common room. This was mainly due to the fact that they lacked protection in numbers, but also because Ron and a few others made it absolutely clear that the Slytherin's weren't sitting at the fire or the comfortable lounges.

"Are you coming? Come on, the others are leaving!" shouted Ron from the entrance to the common room.

"Hermione's still getting ready, we'll catch up," Harry answered, as he leaned against the Gryffindor bedchambers entrance to wait for her. Ron nodded, and headed out of the common room to catch up with Dean, Neville and Seamus. It was odd, seeing that Ron would instead prefer to go with them than wait for Hermione, like he always used to, like they always used to. They had only just finished their first week of school, and Harry realised how naive he had been to assume that things would return to the way they used to be, after everything that had happened. Things would never return to the way they used to be. Not now.

"Harry?" asked Hermione, causing him to jump and notice that she'd been talking to him. She looked concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I was just thinking," said Harry shortly as he led the way out of the common room.

"Thinking about...?" Hermione probed curiously.

"About how things are never going to be the same," answered Harry uneasily.

"I know, I've felt the same way. Where's Ron?" asked Hermione as they headed along the dimly lit dungeons towards the first floor.

"He went with Dean and Neville and them," Harry explained, causing the bushy-haired girl beside him to frown slightly as she no doubt thought the same things he had moments previously.

"And Ginny?"

"Dunno."

"You two are still going out, right?"

"I don't know, Hermione," Harry snapped, with a hint of irritability, causing her to stop walking.

"What's on your mind?" Hermione demanded as they halted at the exit of the dungeons.

"Nothing, it's not important."

"Harry, we're best friends. You can tell me," said Hermione concernedly.

"Can I? Because you haven't been telling me much lately," came Harry's abrupt reply.

"About what?" asked Hermione in exasperation.

"Ron and Ginny may not have noticed, but I know something is still going on between you and Malfoy," said Harry firmly, catching Hermione by surprise.

"Even if there was, it wouldn't be any of your business," said Hermione, choosing her words carefully.

"It kind of is my business, given the fact that he's plotting to get revenge on me."

"He isn't plotting anything elaborate or horrific," said Hermione without thinking, but the moment the words left her mouth she knew she shouldn't have said them.

"So you know!" snapped Harry, aghast.

"Well, yes, but it wasn't a big deal, I forgot to-"

"Malfoy planning revenge on your best friend isn't a big deal, I see how it is," said Harry furiously as he continued walking.

"He just said it would be a bludger in Quidditch or something, like he always used to do! Harry wait," Hermione insisted as she hurried after his quicker pace.

"Don't you get it? You might not realise it, but you and him complicate everything!" Harry hissed in frustration.

"What happened to what you told me at the Burrow? According to Sirius, 'We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on.'"

"I still believe that, I believe Malfoy and Snape aren't completely evil despite how much I dislike them, but that doesn't change the fact that your relationship with him and all the secrecy is causing us three to drift apart," Harry argued. There was a slight pause as understanding dawned on Hermione's face and they both quickly glanced around to ensure that they weren't being overheard. Thankfully, they were the only people in the corridor and most of the older students had already gone to Hogsmeade. Hermione took a deep breath, not knowing what to say.

"I don't know what you expect me to do, Harry. I can't control who I have feelings for, I can't just end it with him. How would you feel if I asked you to end it with Ginny, just because I didn't like her?" asked Hermione defensively.

"I'm not saying you have to end it with him. Just... promise that you'll tell me next time he's plotting to hit me with a bludger, promise you won't snog him or do anything stupid," said Harry awkwardly, causing Hermione to blush.

"I'm not stupid and I'm not like that, Harry. We're not even dating, we're close friends at most because we barely have any opportunity to talk," explained Hermione quickly, and it was actually the truth since they hadn't been talking much since arriving in Hogwarts.

"I know but see what I mean? I have no idea what's going on between you two or what you're hiding, I hate being stuck in the middle of you and Ron and having to keep all this a secret," said Harry in frustration.

"I'm sorry, I just forgot that you knew this much and didn't think anything of it. Of course I'll tell you what's going on in the future," said Hermione, again choosing her words carefully, "If we start actually dating, it'll be openly or not at all."

Hermione and Draco had already agreed that they wouldn't snog unless they were publicly together, so Hermione had no problem telling Harry what was going on between them, since there really wasn't much going on anyway. They had limited opportunities to communicate, and so their relationship wasn't exactly going too well. Harry nodded for a moment, looking somewhat relieved. The sense of clarification definitely made life easier for him, but he still felt that Hogwarts wouldn't be the same and the year ahead of them was clouded with uncertainty. Nevertheless, they left the dungeons and headed off to Hogsmeade, hopeful that at least the magical village with Honeydukes and Zonko's would be the same as it had been when they were little.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	42. Chapter 42

Snow flakes began to gently fall as Hermione and Harry progressed along the road, approaching the small magical village called Hogsmeade. There was a mass of other latecomers still walking there, and they realised that almost every third year to eighth year had left Hogwarts within the hour, and so Hogsmeade would undoubtedly be packed full of students. Hermione smiled briefly to herself at the snow, feeling a sense of nostalgia and comfort from the white blanket unfolding before her. She wasn't entirely sure why she liked the snow, but she supposed that when she was little the snow gave her an excuse to stay in the library or next to the Gryffindor Tower's fireplace to study, and thus the winter months became her favourite time. This contrasted heavily with Ron and Harry, who both disliked the snow because it interfered with their vision during Qudditch matches. Thankfully for them it only snowed at Hogwarts during the winter months, unlike Hogsmeade which snowed with varying degrees of intensity all year round. It must have been some sort of magical interference, since it was directly beside Hogwarts and had completely its own weather, but Hermione had never really thought about it. She broke out of her reminiscence and turned to Harry, who was smiling to himself as he stared at the white road.

"I haven't seen you smile in a while," Hermione jested to break the silence which had been between them for most of the walk, "what's on your mind?"

"Walking here just reminded me of when Fred and George gave me the Marauders Map to sneak into Hogsmeade back in third year," he said reflectively, causing her to laugh.

"And the weekends you couldn't go, me and Ron brought you chocolate and lollies," Hermione mused, smiling. Their conversation was cut short by the sound of multiple footsteps approaching from behind them.

"What do we have here, a Pothead and a mudblood? You two look like the perfect match," came an obnoxious and immediately recognisable feminine voice.

"You survived? Well that's a pity, Parkinson," snapped Harry angrily as he turned to see the raven-haired girl, who was not only healthy and smirking, but had also managed to rebuild her gang of Slytherin girls who surrounded her. The sight caused Hermione to cringe with distaste.

"Don't act so surprised Potter, you already knew I survived. Perhaps I'll be called the 'The Girl Who Lived' from now on," Pansy said in amusement as she walked past them, making an effort to shove her shoulder into Harry despite the fact that she was at least three inches shorter than him. Her gang laughed on cue: Millicent Bulstrode, Tracey Davis, Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, Sally-Anne Perks and two other seventh year girls Harry didn't know the names of. Her complete audacity and boldness caught him by surprise, and the group of them were already walking ahead of them before he had any chance to react.

"Gosh, she is the most obnoxious person I've ever laid eyes on. What did she mean, you already knew?" asked Hermione curiously.

"She walked into the common room while you were getting ready," Harry managed to lie impulsively.

"Oh. Maybe that's why Ron left so fast," Hermione said jokingly, thankfully not probing any further. Harry felt a surge of guilt for lying, after he'd just had a go at her for keeping secrets about Malfoy. He convinced himself that his meeting with Pansy was personal enough to lie about though, since it technically wasn't interfering with anyone else and was only between him and her. Before he could dwell on this any further, they'd arrived at Hogsmeade and were immediately enveloped in a festive atmosphere of scurrying students holding all sorts of foods and magical items, ranging from Every Flavour Beans, Liquorice Wands and Pink Pixie Puffs from Honeydukes, to other joke items from Zonko's, and... fireworks? Harry could almost hear Hermione's brain begin working as she stared, dumbfounded at a group of third year Slytherin boys chucking mini fireworks which automatically ignited when thrown in the air and other unique little magically explosive devices, aiming them at students from other houses as they ran down the street laughing derisively.

"Where on earth did you buy those? Fireworks of any kind are banned at Hogwarts, Zonko's aren't even allowed to sell those!" Hermione said in a surprisingly authoritative and loud voice, causing the Slytherin boys to stop right in their tracks as the Head Girl and Head of Gryffindor glared at them with her hands on her hips.

"Well we didn't buy them from Zonko's!" one boy said smugly, the pockets of his Slytherin coat bulging with hidden objects. This took Hermione by surprise, but it didn't phase her.

"Well that's beside the point, they're still banned at Hogwarts, you can't have them," she said sternly.

"Well - well we aren't at Hogwarts! HA!" yelled one particularly cheeky looking blonde Slytherin boy, whose grey eyes sparkled with malice as he threw two handfuls of fireworks in the air which exploded as him and his friends ran away laughing. He reminded Hermione of a young Draco, or a young Fred or George so much that she was amused and shocked at the same time, and Harry couldn't help but laugh.

"God, and you thought Fred and George were bad. Slytherins have always been the worst," said Harry with a grin.

"I can't believe that boy! I'm the Head Girl! He can't just do that!" said Hermione with a flabbergasted expression.

"I think what's more important is what mass produced fireworks means," said Harry in excitement, as he began walking in the direction the Slytherin third years had come. Hermione hurried after him curiously.

"What does it mean?" she asked.

"I think George has expanded his business."

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As the two of them moved closer to where Zonko's used to be, the crowds of Hogwarts students grew in size and it became obvious that something had definitely changed. As they turned the last corner and got onto the street where the shop was located, they were shocked by the explosion of colour which contrasted with the bleak snowy surroundings. A gigantic sign saying, "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" magically flashed all the colours of the rainbow, and it was set above the original "Zonko's Joke Shop" sign, which looked rickety and old by comparison. The windows of the shop were also flashing colourfully with all sorts of advertisements, and the shop was under vast amounts of construction as a second floor was being built and it was being expanded in the back. There were at least twenty students standing around outside, and a constant flow going in and out with all sorts of magical joke objects and even assortments of odd sweets.

"Always knew George was a genius," said Harry in awe, and Hermione was speechless beside him as they hurried towards the shop. Walking inside was like walking into another world, a world even more magical than Hogwarts. The shop was bustling with activity, movement and noise, and George had clearly renovated it to appear more like the original Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The walls were covered from floor to roof with products, and he had employed workers in uniforms who flew around on child-sized brooms flicking products off shelves to sell to students. Everything was fast-paced, everything was bright.

"Gosh, it's a bit much don't you think?" Hermione had to yell into Harry's ear over the noise. Harry was grinning from ear to ear, and shrugged.

"Well Hermione, I can clearly afford to be 'a bit much' now can't I? You reap what you sow, as the muggles say!" came a cheery voice from behind them, causing Hermione to jump in surprise. There sat George on a broom, in a deep purple suit which was embroidered with golden patterns and a flashing "WWW" logo. Hermione noticed that all of the workers' uniforms had the same WWW logo on their uniforms as well.

"George! It's so good to see you!" Hermione squeaked, totally forgetting about what she'd said as she moved to hug him. He jumped off the broom and hugged her back, whilst shaking Harry's hand.

"No need to get all emotional on me, what do you think of the shop? I'm considering installing automatic fireworks to shoot out of the sign outside and attract more helpless young Hogwartians," said George in amusement. Hermione let go of him and looked around, absorbing the irrevocably happy atmosphere which made her smile.

"Well, despite the fact that half of these things are banned in Hogwarts, it's definitely growing on me," said Hermione with a laugh.

"That's the spirit! Come, let's get away from all this noise - EMMA! You take over for a bit," George shouted the order as they waded through the mass of students towards the back of the shop. The girl who was apparently named Emma jumped on her broom and flew to the front of the shop. They finally reached the back where there was a door, which George opened and led them in. There was far less noise in the back room, which they realised was the storage room. It was still full of activity as more shop workers moved boxes of products to keep the main shop constantly stocked up. They continued walking and opened another door, which opened up to a massive, unfinished room. House elves and wizard builders were chatting and working, and there were brooms, ladders, paint buckets, and all sorts of other strange wizard-building objects scattered everywhere. Hermione realised that she'd never actually seen how magical buildings were built. She didn't have any time to dwell on that though, because she noticed that a number of familiar faces were present. Ron, Neville, Seamus, Dean, Parvati and Padma, Ernie, Luna, Hannah Abbot and Susan Bones were all chatting amongst themselves.

"About time you guys showed up, where've you been?" Ron asked excitedly.

"We were held up by some Slytherin kids with handfuls of fireworks," Harry said.

"That's brilliant!" said George, but when he saw Hermione's look of disapproval he immediately continued, "oh it'll be fine Hermione. Think of McGonagall, Snape and old Filch, there's no way banned fireworks will get into Hogwarts."

"Yeah right," Hermione scoffed, knowing that he was joking, "students always find a way to break the rules."

"And that's the beauty of Hogwarts," George winked.

"So why'd you bring us all here? And can I have a-"

"You can have anything you like, take your pick! I've got enough money to feed all of Hogwarts for a year, I'll be honest. I brought you all here because you were part of Dumbledore's Army, and you need to be told something," said George, his tone changing. He hurried on before anyone could interrupt.

"Yes Voldemort's dead, yes most of the Death Eater's are locked up in Azkaban, but there are still Death Eaters out on the run and Azkaban can still be broken out of, that's been proven time and time again. Hogwarts isn't exactly 'impenetrable' because I know of five secret passageways into Hogwarts just off the top of my head. Yes Harry, five, and three of them are accessible through Hogsmeade, and Hogsmeade is completely defenceless. We've seen how the Death Eaters have taken advantage of Hogsmeade in the past. I came here not just to expand my business, but to protect Hogwarts. Call me paranoid, but I don't think the war is over until every Death Eater is actually dead," said George, allowing the words to sink in. Many of the students were completely shocked.

"Gosh George, you've been hard at work. How have you done all of this so fast? I mean..." Hermione trailed off, she was about to bring up Fred and whether he was still grieving or not, but decided it probably wasn't wise to bring that up in front of everyone else. George seemed to read her mind, and took a deep breath before answering.

"Me and Fred were never the type to relax, study and to be normal like everyone else. My form of grieving is keeping myself active, and I think my greatest revenge for Fred's death is my success," he said carefully.

"You've been successful alright," said Neville, as though he was still trying to wrap his head around it all.

"You should see how the second shop is going," said George with a grin.

"'Second shop'? How many do you have now?" asked Neville incredulously. He clearly hadn't been to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour since George had bought it out and renovated it.

"Four, including this one, the original, Florean's ice cream shop, and a muggle business. Don't judge, muggle businesses are really lucrative, you reach a larger customer base and I have muggle-to-magical currency exchange connections, alright?" George said almost defensively. The students stared at him, wondering how on earth the prankster they all knew years ago had turned out to be ridiculously wealthy and business savvy.

"You're incredibly George, you know that? But if you've found all this out, how long do you think it'll take for the Death Eaters to break out, assuming that they even will?" asked Hermione, mulling it over in her mind. She suddenly realised that perhaps the Sorting Hat's song wasn't just warning about the Houses being divided and everything else she'd interpreted earlier. Perhaps Hogwarts was still in very real danger, and nobody had bothered to consider an Azkaban breakout because Voldemort had so recently been defeated.

"It could happen at any moment Hermione, honestly. But if I were to take a guess, I'd say a break out, or at least a break out attempt, could happen even within a month," said George, with a shrug. The room suddenly felt a lot chillier than before as the students imagined the panic which would ensue if all the Death Eaters managed to escape, or even if just Bellatrix alone managed to escape, given her infamous reputation in the wizarding world.

"We'll be ready if they do, right? We have Dumbledore's Army back again, and Aberforth is still around," said Neville confidently.

"Aberforth can't keep that passage open any more, Neville. I'm trying to make him close it," said George sharply.

"But it's perfect to use for escape if Hogwarts gets invaded."

"It's perfect to invade Hogwarts," George corrected him.

"Aberforth is as good as Dumbledore, he would never betray Hogwarts," Neville went on. Hermione had never seen Neville speak so militarily, and realised that she really didn't understand how bad Hogwarts must have been the year before.

"Sorry, what passage are we talking about here?" asked Harry in bewilderment. It seemed that only he and Hermione had no idea what they were all talking about.

"Last year when you guys were on the run, as you already know the Carrows were acting like dictators and it was the worst year ever. We had to find a way to hide from them, like a safe haven, so we could fight back without being caught. We hid in the Room of Requirement, and Aberforth created a passageway from the Hog's Head Inn which connected to the Room of Requirement where we were hiding, so we could have food and stay there permanently," explained Neville briefly, with a proud grin.

"That's brilliant! Can we see it?" asked Harry in excitement.

"Yeah, might as well while we're here," said Neville.

"Just this once, guys. Because if everything I've warned you about happens, and if that passageway is still open... it won't be hard for someone like Bellatrix to find it. Even Aberforth knows this," said George.

\----------

There was a lively hum of sound emanating from inside the Hog's Head Inn which surprised Harry, Hermione and Ron as they and the others approached the building's gloomy exterior. Harry had always remembered it as an eerie place that was often empty, which was why they used it to conduct their Dumbledore's Army meetings in the past, for the privacy it provided. As they entered however, they saw that it was packed full of students, specifically students who'd joined Dumbledore's Army the year before and who had used the passageway that Aberforth created.

"Harry!" said a familiar voice, and before he could react a red-haired girl had wrapped her arms around him.

"Hey Ginny," said Harry in surprise.

"Are you alright? With the Parkinson thing and all?" asked Ginny in concern.

"Yeah, I mean I got two weeks' worth of detention with Snape but that's nothing new," said Harry with a shrug.

"Malfoy and that will try something during Quidditch too," Ron reminded Ginny, mentally preparing her for a Quidditch conflict. They sat around some chairs near the fireplace, which was crackling pleasantly. Students from every house except for Slytherin were in the Hog's Head Inn, as there was still no Slytherin students in Dumbledore's Army.

"I'd like to see them try," said Ginny with a laugh, "this year will be different. They've lost all their good Quidditch players, their house is outnumbered and Harry has way more support, and You-Know-Who is gone."

There was a general murmur of agreement amongst the students, and Harry felt rather strange at the way in which everyone looked to him as some sort of hero. Ever since his first year at Hogwarts he'd been rather uncomfortable with all the attention and fame, and now it was even more intense.

"Voldemort was never the source of the problem, so don't pretend that because he's gone you'll all have a happy ending," came a deep, rough voice. Everyone turned to look at the large man who had quietly appeared behind the bar. He wore old grey wizard robes and spectacles, had a long wild and bushy beard and silver hair with brilliant bright blue eyes which seemed to see straight through Harry when they made eye contact. Those eyes reminded Harry of Dumbledore for a split second, and then he realised that he was staring at the mysterious Aberforth Dumbledore.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	43. Chapter 43

The entrance of the large old wizard caused an uproar of chatter as many of them went and greeted Aberforth like an old friend. Harry, Hermione and Ron tentatively followed Neville over towards the bar and mostly listened to the chatter before introducing themselves. Aberforth briefly explained what he'd said, stating that Voldemort was never the source of Hogwart's problem, rather tradition and a history of House rivalry was the source. Hermione immediately pounced on this philosophy and as the two of them spoke Harry couldn't help but be reminded yet again of Dumbledore due to Aberforth's piercing blue eyes. Yet everything else about the old wizard was almost the opposite of the Headmaster. Where Dumbledore was soft-spoken with a gentle attitude and a wise and elderly persona, Aberforth by contrast had a vigorous and almost youthful attitude with a rough voice. It was obvious that he wasn't stupid though, and he retained a lot of the wisdom Dumbledore always had.

"So you want to see Ariana's portrait," Aberforth eventually asked, looking directly at Harry, who nodded.

"This is the first and final time you'll see it, I'm going to block the passage before this week's end," continued Aberforth.

"Because you think Death Eaters would use it?" Hermione asked.

"Because I know they'd use it, hell they could just Imperio me and make me re-open it. As I've said, Hogwarts is not and will not ever be safe, that's the way it is. Come on," Aberforth finished gruffly, and he signalled them to follow him away from the bar and back upstairs into the second floor of the Hog's Head Inn. Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged odd glances as they and Neville followed close behind. Even though what Aberforth said made sense and had some truth to it, they all thought he had quite a pessimistic outlook on life. The moment they saw the portrait however, they totally forgot about Aberforth and were mesmerised by the artwork. It depicted Ariana standing in front of an old brick archway, behind which lay swirls of silver mist, as if she had been condemned to stand guard over a secret entrance to Hogwart's forever.

"Oh I absolutely love it when strange Hogwarts students stare at me, it's just the highlight of my day." Her voice was sweet, yet the words dripped with sarcasm. Harry, Ron and Hermione raised their eyebrows in surprise as Neville laughed and Aberforth smirked under his beard.

"After being in the Room of Requirement for most of last year, we got used to her personality," Neville explained.

"Her? You do know that I'm right here," snapped Ariana.

"It astounds me that we're related, with your personality you could have been a Slytherin," said Aberforth in kind-hearted amusement.

"It's such a shame that we'll never know what I could have been, you do remember what happened to me, don't you big brother?" Ariana asked, her sweet voice suddenly not so sweet. There was a deathly silence in which Aberforth frowned and opened his mouth to respond, but closed it again. Hermione suddenly felt terrible for poor Aberforth, and intrigued as to what Ariana was talking about.

"So shall we go in?" Neville piped up to break the silence, and without another word Ariana opened her portrait and revealed a pitch black circular entrance which according to the other students, led directly into the Room of Requirement. Aberforth stood quietly as Neville climbed into the entrance and slid into the darkness. Ron didn't dare be the first one to jump into the mysterious black hole, and instead pushed Harry forward, who rolled his eyes and jumped in. They heard a surprised intake of breath as Harry slid away, then nothing. After exchanging glances with Hermione, Ron proceeded to quickly jump into the hole after Harry, having no desire to be left alone with Aberforth. Hermione rolled her eyes at his childishness before turning to Aberforth.

"Was she always like that?" she asked tentatively, watching the large wizard's gloomy expression. He looked at her for a moment, his blue eyes blank, before he answered.

"No, not always. In life she was sweet and brilliant. Something terrible happened and it changed her. In that portrait is still the sister that I love, no matter how different she acts," Aberforth said with a sombre tone.

"I'm sorry," said Hermione sympathetically, "may I ask what happened to her?"

"That's a story I need to tell Potter, and you if you'd like to hear it. But not today, miss Granger." Hearing him say her last name like that reminded her of the way Dumbledore addressed his students, and she was stricken with a sense of sadness and nostalgia. Hermione nodded in understanding as she moved up to the black entrance into Hogwarts.

"I'd love to hear it, and you can call me Hermione," she said as she slid into the darkness.

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The weekend went by surprisingly fast and the common room was finally beginning to show signs of routine and structure. Some rules had been agreed upon, primarily in relation to the fire place and the comfy lounges. Ernie, in an attempt to practice his leadership role as Head Boy, decided to write these initial rules onto a sheet of parchment and put it on the notice board which was below the clock in the common room. The rules were as follows:

\- Ravenclaw get the fireplace Monday and Tuesday, Gryffindor get the fireplace Wednesday and Thursday, Slytherin get the fireplace Friday and Saturday, Hufflepuff get the fireplace Sunday.

\- Hufflepuff get the comfy lounges Monday and Tuesday, Slytherin get the comfy lounges Wednesday and Thursday, Gryffindor get the comfy lounges Friday and Saturday, Ravenclaw get the comfy lounges Sunday.

On the surface the rules seemed rather petty and basic, but they were very effective at resolving disputes and separating the Houses so that there was less arguing over who got to sit where. Hufflepuff agreed to only sit by the fireplace once a week, since the Hufflepuff common room had always been renowned as the cosiest and warmest of the common room's, and their sleeping chambers in the Eighth Year's common room reflected this, so it was only fair that Slytherin got more time with the fireplace. Hermione was thankful that Hufflepuff's were reasonable and generous by nature. The Ravenclaw's readily agreed to use the comfy lounges once a week to reduce the amount of "childish, headache-inducing arguments" as Padma put it, and since they spent the most time outside of the common room at the library than anyone else, they didn't particularly care for the comfier lounges anyway.

"Hermione, you ready?" Neville called from outside the Gryffindor sleeping chambers door. A faint 'yes!' was returned from inside, and at the same time the Eighth Year common room door opened and in came Professor McGonagall.

"Mister Malfoy, Neville, where is Hermione? Ah, there she is. Just a reminder to you three that after your classes today we'll be having a Teaching Trainee meeting in the staff room. It will just involve organising suitable times to spend with your mentors," said McGonagall, getting enthusiastic nods of agreement from Hermione and Neville, and an annoyed cringe from Draco in response.

\----------

The last and most notable of the lessons that day was Care of Magical Creatures. Being an elective, the class had a surprisingly large selection of students. Hermione, Harry and Ron chose it solely because they knew that Hagrid would be teaching it. Hermione was doing every elective class except Divination and Muggle Studies, whereas the only other elective Harry and Ron picked was Muggle Studies, which they claimed was because they were "just interested in it", but Hermione knew it was because of the newly appointed attractive female teacher, Professor Elizabeth Barbage. Other students in Care of Magical Creatures included Parvati, the other Gryffindor boys, all of the Ravenclaw's, Ernie Macmillan, all the Slytherin girls and Theodore Nott. The group of eighth years stood around outside Hagrid's hut, casting distasteful glances primarily at the Slytherins, whilst anxiously awaiting what Hagrid had in store for them.

"He's seemed pretty happy lately," said Hermione, pondering, "maybe he has some safer creatures this year?"

Ron scoffed before responding, "If Hagrid is happy it means he has the opposite of safe creatures."

"If he has Blast-Ended Skrewts again, I swear I'm going straight to the Cat," Pansy said, just loud enough for everyone around her to hear.

"Stop calling her 'the Cat', it isn't funny it's just rude, her name is Professor McGonagall," snapped Hermione, feeling as if she'd heard the nickname a million times already after only being around the Slytherin's for a week.

"I'm sorry, was I talking to you mudblood?"

"Shut up Parkinson," Harry snarled, but he was cut short when every other girl in the class gasped in excitement. Out from the Forbidden Forest walked Hagrid with four extraordinarily beautiful unicorns. They were a pure white colour, even whiter than the snow at Hogsmeade, with golden hooves and dangerously sharp looking horns. Any animosity between the students was washed away as Hagrid began his lesson, which simply involved approaching the unicorns, patting them and feeding them. It became more of a female-dominated lesson, however, as the unicorns refused to let any of the boys near them.

"By nature they tend ter trust witches a bit more, given that most poachers are wizards n'all, unicorns have a good memory with that sort of thing," Hagrid explained, as the boys stood back and watched in disappointment. Harry found himself constantly revisiting the rather terrifying memory of his first detention in the Forbidden Forest. Him, Malfoy and Fang saw Voldemort drinking the blood of a dead unicorn. He wondered if Malfoy even remembered, if he even understood what he saw at the time. The memory left him feeling dejected, but he smiled slightly when the largest unicorn began following Pansy everywhere, swinging its horn at anyone who tried to approach her, as though it were her guardian. The unicorn towered over her in size, but she had a smug look as she reached up and patted it behind the ear.

"They can be very protective if they like yer. In fact, five points to Slytherin. If a unicorn likes yeh that's a good sign," said Hagrid approvingly, causing Ron to fold his arms in frustration.

"Any of you have a unicorn tail hair wand?" Hagrid asked, looking at the boys. Neville and Ron raised their hands, and as per Hagrid's instructions pulled their wands out and held them out as they approached the other three unicorns. According to Hagrid, unicorns can sense the magic of a unicorn hair wand and will be more trusting of someone who carries one, as long as the wand has never been damaged or performed evil magic. The smallest unicorn allowed Neville to pat it, and he was applauded by the class, while Ron was still rejected to the amusement of the Slytherin girls.

"Probably because you snapped your last unicorn hair wand," Harry joked when Ron walked back to the group of boys.

"I didn't snap it, the bloody Whomping Willow snapped it! And I haven't even damaged this one that much!" Ron retorted angrily, causing the rest of the group to laugh as he shoved his second unicorn hair wand into his pocket in frustration. Hagrid went on to explain the features of unicorns: they were incredibly fast, faster than werewolves and any other creature in the Forbidden Forest; their horn and hooves could be used to cause fatal wounds; drinking their blood could be used to keep a person who is near death alive, but this came with a terrible cost; and of course their horns and hair can be used in potions and tail hairs can be used in wands. One reason for unicorns' lack of trust towards humans, particularly males, may have been due to generations of poaching them for the magical properties of their hair, horns and blood. By the end of the lesson Hagrid seemed very pleased with himself.

"I thought Minerva wouldn't give me the job back, ye' know, after yer third year and all," he said to Harry, Ron and Hermione off to the side. "But she helped me make some lesson plans and said I'd get the job as long as I taught it safely."

"I knew she would, nobody else could teach this the same as you," said Hermione, causing Hagrid to swell with pride. His smile faltered slightly for a moment though.

"Thanks 'Ermione. Minerva's great, but I still miss ol' Dumbledore. Me n' Severus aven't been gettin' on either, after what he did," Hagrid lowered his voice when he said this, and brought a pang of nostalgia to resonate within the three students who missed Dumbledore just as much as he did.

"Snape did it because Dumbledore ordered him to though, Hagrid. It wasn't in cold blood," said Hermione uncertainly.

"Yeh I know, I know, but still. I wouldn't've done it. Old grudges are hard to shake. Remus n' him ain't gettin' on either," Hagrid went on. The four of them continued to speak until the lesson ended and the rest of the students left, except Pansy and Daphne Greengrass who kept feeding the unicorns off in the distance. Rather than talking of positive things, or reminiscing on old times like Harry thought they would with Hagrid, the conversation tended to keep returning to darker topics, namely, the Death Eaters who were still on the run. Hagrid informed them that he and all of the Hogwarts staff were aware of George and Aberforth's plans to protect Hogwarts from Hogsmeade, and seemed to be in full support of it. This confirmed Hermione's feelings that there were serious dangers to still be considered, if even McGonagall thought it was acceptable for an ex-student to help defend Hogwarts after the war.

\----------

As the sun began to go down Hermione suddenly remembered the Teaching Trainee meeting, and said goodbye to Hagrid whilst setting off at a run towards the castle. She heard Pansy laughing in the distance, who was still with the unicorns, but ignored her. The entire way she wished that apparating was possible in Hogwarts, but of course non-apparition was a safety precaution that would always stay in place. When she finally got to the staff room around ten minutes later she attempted to compose herself outside the door, taking deep breaths and wiping sweat from her brow. Before her hand even touched the door handle however, the door was opened by Malfoy.

"Late as usual, miss Granger. No surprises there. I ought to give you a detention."

"That is not how I talk, Draco," Snape drawled, though Draco could have sworn he was holding back a smirk. Hermione gave Draco a look of amusement as she tentatively stepped into the staff room, and the only other person present appeared to be Neville. She opened her mouth and Snape answered her unspoken question immediately.

"Minerva and Pomona will be here shortly, they're busy addressing some disciplinary matters," he said. It made Hermione wonder whether he used Legilimency on a constant basis, because answering questions before they were asked was a characteristic he possessed even since their first year.

"Who the hell is Pomona?" asked Draco, perplexed.

"Professor Sprout," the other three answered in unison.

"Did you not ever pay attention in Herbology? Her full name was even said at the Start-of-Term Feast," began Hermione, as if scalding a child.

"Shut up... Granger," spat Draco. They both secretly knew he was milliseconds from calling her a mudblood. She almost smiled, knowing that he stopped himself, but instead just glared at him like she always would have.

"They're addressing disciplinary matters? What does that mean?" Hermione went on to ask Snape, who rolled his eyes as he sighed. It reminded her of how he always used to treat her constant questioning as an enormous annoyance, which was possibly the one thing she hated most about him. Sometimes she couldn't tell if he did it for appearances sake or just to grind her gears.

"I believe a disciplinary matter consists of the disciplining of a student, usually for behaviour or for the breaking of administrative rules," Snape spoke lazily, knowing it would frustrate the bushy haired girl.

"I know what it is, I meant - ugh," Hermione growled, holding her books to her chest tightly, something she did when she was annoyed without realising it. Both Slytherins managed to keep straight faces, yet she was certain they were laughing on the inside. She was also certain that Snape was always using Legilimency, but she'd never truly know. All of the sarcasm had flown straight over Neville's head, and he seemed to have no idea what was going on.

"I think what Hermione meant, sir, was that she was wondering what the disciplinary matter involved, as in what happened?" Neville said, sounding more confused than he looked. Snape looked at him with mild distaste.

"A scuffle in the corridor, according to staff room gossip," was his answer. This time it was Hermione who rolled her eyes.

"Well since you seem to know so much about all the gossip and what everyone is thinking, would you care to elaborate on that, sir?" Hermione asked in mock politeness. Snape gave nothing away but she could tell he understood her jest.

"A fourth year Gryffindor boy said to a second year Slytherin boy that he was glad his parents were rotting in Azkaban, and that they deserved everything the Dementors did to them. The Slytherin boy hasn't seen his parents in over a year and tried to fight the fourth year and his friends. You can imagine how that turned out," said Snape with a complete and utter lack of emotion. Draco looked venomous as he listened, and Hermione felt rather ashamed that a fellow Gryffindor would say such things.

"What's the Gryffindor's name, sir?" asked Draco.

"None of your concern Draco. You'll find out soon enough because information spreads like wildfire around here, but even then, do not go near him, understand?" said Snape, sounding serious for the first time.

"Do you honestly think McGonagall's going to do anything?" Draco demanded.

"What Minerva does or does not do with these particular students has nothing to do with you," Snape answered flatly.

"That twelve year old kid is a Slytherin, I'm a Slytherin, therefore he has everything to do with me because our House is built upon loyalty," Draco argued.

"Enough. It's my job to advocate for students, not yours. You will only make the problem worse," Snape snapped with a hint of finality. The two glared at each other for several seconds, and Hermione observed them in surprise. It became clear to her that Draco's recent promotion to Head of Slytherin, and his perceived duty to protect his house, was causing problems between them.

"The Gryffindor only said a few words, it was the Slytherin who started the fight," Neville piped up, at the worst possible moment. Hermione could tell Draco was already furious.

"So what, words don't matter then? Guess I'll just find some second year muggle borns to call mudbloods then, if it's excusable for a Gryffindor," Draco said heatedly.

"With you it's different, you got away with it for years," Neville argued.

"Longbottom do you have any idea how many detentions McGonagall has given me? I never got away with a damn thing, but Gryffindor's always do," Draco spat.

"Will you both just stop! Both students were in the wrong and both students will be punished equally I'm sure of it, and that's fair, just calm down," said Hermione.

"Equal punishment isn't fair. If I called a second year Gryffindor a mudblood, provoked him to fight me and then put him in the Hospital Wing I'd be packing my bags within the day," Draco said, looking at Hermione.

"That's different to what happened," she said.

"How is it any different?" he challenged her.

"You're an eighth year, the Gryffindor was a fourth year. When you were a fourth year you got away with calling me that word more times than I can count, literally. You should know better now because you're older, and you have power over younger students. That's how it's different," said Hermione, choosing her words carefully. She didn't want to argue with him over something that had nothing to do with them personally, but nonetheless she couldn't let him accuse McGonagall of being inadequate. She could tell he was frustrated at being teamed up on by her and Neville, especially because Snape wasn't saying a word to defend Slytherin.

"I got away with it sometimes, sure. But if you ever retaliated back in fourth year, McGonagall would have given you house points for retaliation, not detentions, and don't try to tell me otherwise," Draco said, also choosing his words carefully. He knew he was treading on thin ice but regardless, something about the entire situation was just wrong. It was as if people were already taking advantage of the fact that Voldemort was gone to take their anger out on Slytherin students. Draco knew that this would happen, he knew that the tables would definitely be turning, but he didn't know how soon or how frequent it would happen. He didn't expect Hermione to defend something like this either. There was a long silence in the staff room as they glared at each other, both thinking, 'we'll talk about this later'.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to your alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	44. Chapter 44

When the Care of Magical Creatures class concluded, Ron offered to help Hagrid take the unicorns back into the forest in the hopes that maybe he will get to pat one at the last moment. Harry decided to head back to the common room alone, having no desire to see any more unicorns as he was constantly reminded of Voldemort. He walked to the top of the hill in the Hogwart's grounds, and laughed as he watched the unicorns dodge and avoid Ron. Pansy was walking up the hill towards him, giggling as the largest unicorn was still following her. Hagrid said it'd give up when it got closer to Hogwarts, as unicorns avoided buildings even more than people. Sure enough, it stopped on the hill and neighed as Pansy waved to it, before it bolted with dizzying speed back to Hagrid. Harry quickly continued walking, hoping that she hadn't seen him and cursing himself for even paying attention to her in the first place.

"Jealous?"

He couldn't help himself, her snide single-worded question simply warranted a response. It wasn't like he could ignore her.

"Of what?" Harry asked, turning and walking backwards to look at her.

"You didn't get to pat any unicorns," she said with a smug smile.

"I didn't want to," he answered. There was a pause as she raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Yeah, right. Everyone loves unicorns, why wouldn't you want to pat one?"

"Not everyone likes them," Harry blurted out, unable to rid his mind of Voldemort. He realised that he probably sounded strange to Pansy, and went on, "and so I think unicorns should be left alone."

"You're saying you don't like unicorns?" asked Pansy with a perplexed expression, as though this was worse than anything else about him.

"No not me, someone else."

"Who?"

"No one, it doesn't matter. Why are you even talking to me?" Harry snapped in annoyance, turning around and walking straight again. She went on, unrelenting.

"Maybe because we're walking the same way to the same common room," said Pansy sardonically.

"Go a different way then," Harry snapped back.

"How about you do that?"

"I was walking this way first."

"I better not walk the same way as 'The Boy Who Lived', since he's so much more important than everyone else," Pansy mocked him with all of the sarcasm that she could muster. Harry felt a flicker of anger surge through him as he stopped in his tracks and turned around to glare at her.

"You say that like I chose to be who I am. I'm famous because my parents were murdered when I was a kid, that's not something that I'm proud of," Harry said angrily, surprising even himself by the sudden outburst. Pansy stopped and hesitated, opened her mouth, closed it, went slightly red and then blurted out, "I was just joking."

"Hilarious. Now I know why everyone likes you so much," Harry said jadedly. He kept walking and Pansy followed, disheartened.

"I don't care what people think of me, so there's that. And you're not famous just because of your parents, you're famous because you, well, defeated him," said Pansy, sounding genuine. She quickly went on, "it was a joke."

"His name is Voldemort, you shouldn't be afraid to say it, after all you were on his side," Harry said over his shoulder.

"Wait, what? I've never claimed to be on his side, and you shouldn't say his name," Pansy hissed in a quieter tone, as she rushed to move beside him.

"You hate muggle borns and Gryffindor's, you were associated with Death Eaters, you're a Slytherin. It's fairly obvious what side you were on," said Harry, looking sideways at her. He was surprised by the glare she gave him.

"I was not associated with Death Eaters, my parents weren't either!"

"You were Malfoy's girlfriend and he was a Death Eater," Harry retorted.

"I was his girlfriend for like a month in our third year, we've always been just best friends, and his father forced him into it. He never wanted to be one, so how about you stop being a... a judgemental prick!" said Pansy. Harry stopped walking again, another surge of unexplained emotion causing his blood to boil as he turned towards her.

"You did not just call me judgemental. You, you cannot call anyone judgemental. You are the epitome of what a judgemental person is. Next time you call my closest friend a mudblood, take a long hard look at yourself," said Harry venomously.

"Next time you call my closest friend a Death Eater, take a long hard look at yourself. Draco's been through a lot to get away from that life. Not all Slytherin's are Death Eaters or Death Eater supporters," Pansy said defensively. Harry figured that Draco must have opened up to her and told her everything... everything except his time with the Order, it seemed.

"Fine, Malfoy was forced into it, maybe he isn't so bad. That's beside the point, the point is you hate muggle borns and Gryffindor's. For no reason. That's what makes you, directly or indirectly I don't really care, a supporter of Death Eaters or at least a supporter of what they believe in," said Harry, as though that concluded the argument.

"I don't hate mudbloods any more than you hate Death Eaters and Slytherin's. I can't help what I was brought up to believe any more than you can, so don't try to make me out to be some sort of villain. I don't actually hate all Gryffindor's, I don't hate you, but you're starting to make me want to," said Pansy. There was a pause, and she realised that she was breathing heavily and they were standing far too close. The air around them seemed like it was electric, and not exactly in a good way.

"You want to know the difference between us?" asked Harry, glaring deep into her eyes.

"Enlighten me," she snarled.

"I hate Death Eaters because they've killed the people that I love. I hate most Slytherins, because they've bullied my friends. You hate muggle borns for absolutely no good reason."

"This is all about Granger, isn't it? Alright, I'll say it: I don't hate her because of her blood status, I just dislike her, her personality, and I'm not going to apologise for who I do and don't like. And if you know anything about history, you would know that muggles persecuted magical folk for centuries, can you even comprehend the number of innocent girls burnt at the stake in the Middle Ages for being witches? It's not just blind hatred, and there are reasons, that's what my parents taught me," Pansy tried to explain, for some strange reason hoping that he would understand where she was coming from.

"Good for you Parkinson, you know your history. History. The past. Do you see muggles with torches and pitchforks running around burning witches right now? No, because burning people, and discrimination in general for that matter, is against most muggle law," Harry snapped.

"No, it's because the witches come here to this miserable old castle, or Durmstrang, or wherever else. Why do you think the wizarding world is hidden by magic, Potter? Hmm? Fear and persecution, that's why. Muggles are the dangerous ones, if I walked down a muggle street doing magic they'd lock me up like an animal," said Pansy, certain that she was correct.

"That's not true, you've never even spoken to a muggle, you don't know anything about them!" Harry said in exasperation.

"Of course I haven't spoken to a muggle, my parents never let me. I hear they have pieces of metal that can kill you from miles away with just the pull of a finger. They even have things that can destroy entire countries within seconds. How is that even possible?"

Harry nearly started to explain to her what a nuclear bomb was, but then saw the fear in her eyes. Real, genuine fear which was no doubt created by stories told to her as a child, caused by a lifetime, or even generations, of misunderstanding. But at the same time, he could see where she was coming from. He wouldn't dare walk up to muggles and show them real magic, it just wasn't something a wizard did because you could never know how muggles would react. Guns and bombs in many ways were far more dangerous than wands. There were lots of reasons wizarding society was hidden, the main one being the danger of muggles. There was a long silence in which he hesitated to answer, and Pansy calmed down a bit.

"Alright, fine. Most muggles are dangerous, I'll give you that. Not bad or evil, just potentially dangerous. So why hate muggle borns? Why hate the muggle parents who send their kids to learn magic, why hate muggle parents who spend years upon years trying to understand and accept their magical children and the magical world?" Harry questioned her.

"Well, I ... I don't know. My parents think if you're pureblood you have more magic in you, and that it's not fair that muggle borns should be allowed to practice magic if their ancestors hunted and killed magical people," Pansy stated, though for the first time her voice was tainted with uncertainty about what she was saying.

"It's not fair for muggle borns to be denied the one thing that purebloods cherish: magic. It's not fair that they should be scorned for the family they were born into," said Harry.

"Well you scorn me for being a Slytherin, and a Death Eater supporter even though I'm not," Pansy countered defensively.

"No, I scorn you because you bully my best friend and you seem to hate people I like. Those are the only reasons. I take back what I said about you being on the Death Eater side, that's not really the point I was trying to make..." Harry trailed off, unsure of what to say next. There was an awkward silence as they glanced at each other and looked away, shocked at everything that had been said and the strange understanding which had formed between them. Pansy glanced up at the castle, biting her lip, worry etched into her face.

"I didn't come up with all this stuff. I don't really know what to believe. But I don't have much choice, if I didn't hate mudbloods or at least say that I did, my parents would disown me, no Slytherin would talk to me, I'd have nothing. Every other house hates me and hates Slytherin, I can't just change, or whatever... and besides, some Slytherins really are good people. Draco is a good person. My parents are good people. They might have beliefs that I sometimes question, but I love them because they're family, they're blood, and I do what they say because that's how it is. If the Death Eaters ever came back, my parents would support them, because if they didn't they'd be considered traitors. You're right, I probably would be 'on the Death Eater side', because they'd kill my parents if I didn't support them. I can't trust anyone outside of Slytherin, who would accept me?" Pansy said. She seemed to really want to get everything off of her chest, and the more she spoke, the more frightened she became. Harry stood there in stunned silence, staring at her as if he was seeing Pansy Parkinson for the first time. Where on earth had all of that come from?

"I don't know. I shouldn't have said all of this. Don't tell anyone I said any of this, I ... I really shouldn't have said anything," she continued, sounding panicked as she hurried past him towards the castle. Harry stared at her as she walked away, utterly confused at her reaction to her own honesty, before springing into action and following her.

"That actually made sense, why are you acting like it's a bad thing?" Harry asked from a few feet behind her. She didn't respond and just kept walking as fast as she could.

"Parkinson!"

"Keep your voice down, Merlin Potter!" she hissed as she spun on her heels. "Everything I just said was wrong, forget I said any of it. I shouldn't be talking to you."

\----------

When the Teaching Trainee meeting finished, Hermione made her way towards the eighth year dormitory from the staff room alone. Neville and Professor Sprout had gone down to the Greenhouses, and Draco went with Snape to the Potions classroom. Hermione assumed it was because they were practical subjects, and both Professors probably had their notes and equipment in the classrooms. Professor McGonagall had everything she needed in the staff room already, and so that's where she told Hermione all the necessary information. It was quite simple really: for the first two months of the year, Hermione was to study first, second and third year Transfiguration content and sit in on one of Professor McGonagall's classes at least once a week. At the end of the two month period she would undergo an exam based on first, second and third year content, and additionally be marked by Professor McGonagall and a Ministry worker on her ability to teach first, second and third year Transfiguration in a practical classroom setting.

"And after all that which I'm sure you'll do just fine in, you'll be qualified to teach first, second and third years for the rest of the year. At that point you will share classes with me, and if you wish, you can take over all of the first to third year classes. However, you only need a total of thirty hours of teaching experience to fulfil the program's requirements, and after that I would advise that you focus on studying for your NEWTs instead," Professor McGonagall finished, smiling at Hermione's excitement.

"And what about fourth to seventh years?" asked Hermione quickly.

"During the summer holidays there will be a second examination, which will test you on fourth to seventh year Transfiguration content. Then in the first week of school next year, you will again be marked by myself and a Ministry worker on your ability to teach senior classes. If you pass all of that, you'll be teaching all of my classes while I focus on Headmistress duties. You won't be a fully qualified Transfiguration Professor until you have 400 hours of teaching experience, which you'll get throughout the year from teaching full time."

Hermione reflected on all of this, coursing with enthusiasm as she practically skipped towards the common room. She planned on sending an owl to her parents that night, asking them to send her all of her first to third year notes, so she could start revising them straight away, not that she would really need to. She still had almost every spell, incantation and hand movement memorised off by heart.

\----------

"What the hell is a Forgetfulness Potion?" asked Draco. Snape looked at him dully.

"Are you serious?"

"Yes I'm serious, it was probably like seven years ago!"

"Your first year final examination involved brewing a Forgetfulness Potion, a beginners level potion. If you honestly need to revise how to make it, I worry for the future generations of Hogwarts Potions students," said Snape, sounding astonished.

"Whatever," Draco said, "so I learn all this crap, do a test on it in two months, get marked teaching first, second and third year classes, then I'm good to go?"

"Not quite. You'll be qualified to teach first, second and third year classes, which means you'll be allowed to share mine. You'll only be getting classes I let you teach, which means you'll get the classes that I hate," Snape drawled with a smirk as he said this.

"Fantastic, you're making it sound like so much fun," said Draco sarcastically.

"And then over the summer break there will be another examination based on fourth to seventh year content which you'll have to pass. And the first week of next year you'll get tested on your ability to teach senior classes. Then you'll be 'good to go'," Snape finished.

"Alright, and so for these first to third year classes I can take away House points and give detentions right?" asked Draco, smiling wickedly.

"You can, but those powers are a privilege, if you abuse them they will be taken away. You only need a total of thirty hours of first to third year teaching experience, and once you've gotten all those hours, I can also take away your ability to teach classes. Understood?" Snape said.

"Loud and clear. Are we done?" asked Draco. Before replying, Snape opened up one of his desk drawers, pulled out a parchment booklet and dropped it in front of Draco.

"This outlines everything you need to know for the first to third year exam: all the potions, ingredients and what you'll be teaching. But it's only an outline, you'll need to do further study yourself, so find all of your old Potions textbooks," said Snape. Draco picked up the booklet, noticed that the parchment was fresh and realised that Snape must have recently written the entire booklet just for him.

"Thank you, sir," Draco said awkwardly as he stood up.

"Don't mention it. Literally, don't show Minerva because there are hints in there too," said Snape, causing Draco to chuckle as he left the classroom.

\----------

"Well, well, well, look who it is," came a voice from behind him, causing Draco to jump slightly as he turned around. Hermione burst out laughing at his reaction, and he hid a smile as he checked to make sure that nobody was around. The dungeon corridors were extremely dark, and he could only see her under faint torchlight when she got closer.

"That's my line, Granger, if you say it again you better watch your back," Draco said in mock threat.

"Oh really? Well you better watch your back, because if I catch you here at night I'll scare you again," Hermione responded.

"We'll see about that," said Draco, already plotting the many ways in which he would scare her throughout the rest of the year. She seemed to read his mind and her smile widened slightly. He continued on a more serious note, "about the argument earlier in the staff room..."

"The Gryffindor got a weeks worth of the detentions, and the Slytherin just got a long chat with McGonagall about not retaliating or being violent. I asked her," Hermione explained, knowing that he was still angry about it. He seemed pleased at hearing this.

"I guess I underestimated McGonagall," Draco said, pondering.

"Even if it was unfair, I want you to promise me that you won't try and take matters into your own hands. You'll only end up in trouble, Draco."

"Why would you want me to do nothing, though?" Draco demanded.

"I don't want you to do nothing, I want you to not get expelled," said Hermione.

"I won't get expelled, I promise. Also, would you happen to still have your notes for first to third year Potions?" asked Draco casually, smirking as he saw her roll her eyes.

"Meet me at the Owlery after dinner, I'm going to owl my parents and ask them for my Transfiguration notes. If you're lucky, I'll ask for my Potions notes too," said Hermione as she purposefully brushed past him and continued walking towards the common room. He watched her for a few moments, captivated by how beautiful she was even without make up and with her baggy robes on. As his imagination began to run wild, her voice brought him back to reality.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked curiously, sounding amused.

"What? Nothing," Draco said, starting to walk as though nothing had happened.

"You looked a little dazed," said Hermione smugly.

"Whatever Granger, how about you just leave me alone so I can go to my common room in peace," said Draco jokingly.

"Oh because I'm such a bully," Hermione laughed as she walked beside him.

"Yeah actually, you are."

"I'll admit to being a bully if you admit what you were thinking about just before," Hermione demanded, but the sound of footsteps coming towards them stopped the conversation there. After two eighth year Ravenclaw girls, Mandy Brocklehurst and Sue Li passed them in silence, they arrived at the common room.

"See you at the Owlery. Dawn," said Hermione, saying the password to the common room door and entering.

\----------

Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to your alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	45. Chapter 45

After the Care of Magical Creatures class and the Teaching Trainee meeting, Hermione met up with the other Gryffindor's and headed to the Great Hall for dinner. The conversation at dinner that night was almost entirely focused on Quidditch. With Quidditch try outs quickly approaching, every Gryffindor who thought they had what it took to be on the team approached Harry, Ron and Ginny nervously, to make a good impression. Given that the majority of Gryffindor's best players had graduated in recent years, it was up to Harry as Gryffindor Captain to find new talent. Ginny was a great help in this department, given her popularity among the younger year groups and her presence at Hogwarts the year before.

"Harry plays seeker, Ron plays keeper, myself, Dean and Demelza can all stay on as chasers. We could have try outs for Demelza's position, no offence to her but she's not the best chaser I've ever seen. What we really need are two good beaters though," Ginny was saying.

"Strong beaters. Malfoy's plotting revenge on Harry and we can't have any injuries this year, I'm not having it," Ron growled, as he looked up and down the Gryffindor table for suitable beaters. "We need some muscle this year, you know?"

"We're gonna have to look to the younger grades if we want some muscle," said Ginny thoughtfully. "There's a few third and fourth year guys that played some muggle game they called 'rugby', I'm not sure what it is but they're pretty big guys."

"It's a game where you basically have a rectangle pitch, it's played on the ground, there's one ball, and the objective is to get the ball to the opposing team's side of the field to score a point. So the players spend eighty minutes physically running through each other and tackling each other around the ball," Harry explained, surprised that rugby had never come up in conversation before.

"Alright that's the kind of guys we need, especially since Slytherin's still going to have Crabbe and Goyle," said Ginny in frustration. Malfoy's henchmen had been Slytherin's greatest strength since their first year: nobody could out-muscle Crabbe and Goyle, and therefore nobody could injure the Slytherin team as much as the Slytherin team injured everyone else. Their strategy usually involved injuring their opponents strongest players, such as Harry. Hermione bitterly noted that it was almost always Draco who unleashed Crabbe and Goyle upon key enemy players. She told herself that she'd have a word with Draco about his revenge plan against Harry and his use of Crabbe and Goyle as weapons on the Quidditch pitch. As she thought about this, she felt as though someone was watching her... and sure enough, when she glanced towards the Slytherin table, she quickly made eye contact with Draco. He held her gaze for a few moments before looking away and answering a question someone had asked.

"What about that one? Ginny, do you know his name? The big one, black hair, next to the girl with pink glasses," said Ron, nodding towards one of the largest Gryffindor students. Hermione followed his line of sight and agreed that if she were looking for a beater with some muscle, that guy would be her first choice. He looked well over six foot despite being younger than all of them, and had a rather hideous scar from the left side of his forehead to his right eyebrow.

"That's Jason Boom. He's the fourth year that had a go at that Slytherin kid. He's not the nicest guy, but he'd be a hell of a beater," Ginny admitted. Harry looked over at Jason with a look of distaste at discovering that he'd provoked a second year Slytherin boy about his parents being in Azkaban. Harry could empathise with the second year, having been bullied for his own dead parents by much older Slytherin's in the past. Ginny seemed apprehensive as well, and Hermione was pleased that they weren't approving of what he'd done. Ron however, was suddenly elated.

"Perfect. Oi Jason! Come here for a second," Ron called down the table.

"What are you doing? Try outs aren't till friday," Harry hissed at him.

"So? I'm talent scouting," Ron said with a grin. When the giant of a fourth year lumbered over to them, Ron and Dean made room for him to sit between them with the group.

"Ron Weasley, right? I saw you in the Prophet. What's up man?" Jason began, pleasantly enough.

"We're discussing the Quidditch try outs, and you see, I've never seen you try out for the team before. But we need a little extra muscle this year. Would you consider trying out?" Ron asked casually. Jason hesitated for a few moments, suddenly aware of all the eyes that were on him.

"I might have muscle, but that's from playing muggle sports. I'm not the best flier, I'm better with my hands..." said Jason uncertainly.

"Well you don't necessarily need to be the best flier, if you catch my meaning. You just need to put your muscle to good use on the pitch," said Ron, choosing his words carefully. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as he said this. It was, generally speaking, against school rules to plan on playing Quidditch with the sole intent of harming the other team. Whilst the beater position did involve hitting the bludger, it wasn't the only duty of the beater, and it usually meant hitting the bludger away from team mates, not only towards enemies.

"Be careful with what you're implying, Ron," she spoke up, much to Ron's dismay. He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, focusing his attention on Jason. The fourth year Gryffindor smiled a dark smile, suggesting that he knew exactly what Ron was implying, yet he still seemed hesitant.

"I'm not on good terms with McGonagall man, you know, with that little Slytherin shit," Jason said, glancing over at the Slytherin table pointedly. "I need to pass this year too or my parents will be pissed."

As he said this, his glance turned into a glare as he made eye contact with a group of Slytherin's. Hermione and the other Gryffindor's followed his line of sight, and figured out what was going on. A few older Slytherin's were sitting around the second year that Jason had provoked, and they were pointing at Jason and mouthing the words, 'you're dead'.

"Tell you what Ron, I will stop by for try outs. And if one of those pieces of shit happens to be on the Slytherin team, the Slytherin team is going to be missing players this year," said Jason with a booming laugh as he slapped Ron on the back, causing Ron to slam forward into the table. Hermione was the only Gryffindor in the vicinity who didn't laugh; even Harry had a slight chuckle at the prospect of his own Crabbe or Goyle on the team. He could tell that Jason wasn't the nicest guy, but he could also see how that's exactly what Gryffindor needed to be on an even playing field with Slytherin.

"Brilliant, can't wait to see you on friday then," Ron said once he regained his breath after being winded from the slap on the back. Jason stayed for a while to get to know the other current Quidditch players a bit better, and introduce himself to the famous Harry Potter, before he returned to his fourth year buddies who were eagerly waiting to find out why he'd been invited over.

"Do we really need a Crabbe or Goyle on the Gryffindor team?" Hermione groaned once he'd gone.

"Hermione you can complain about other stuff, but you can't complain about Quidditch, alright? That's mine and Harry's area of expertise," Ron began matter-of-factly.

"It's mine and Harry's area of expertise, you mean," Ginny corrected her older brother, eyes narrowed. Ron frowned but meekly conceded that she was 'pretty good'.

"I think Gryffindor does need someone like Crabbe or Goyle, Hermione. I mean, it's more about protecting our players from Slytherin. I don't like it either, but we can't have any more injuries like previous years," said Harry, in an attempt to be neutral, getting nods from everyone around them. He also knew that Hermione would become very unpopular, very quickly if she criticised the Gryffindor Quidditch team in front of everyone. If there was one thing that Gryffindor's were most proud of at Hogwarts, it was Quidditch. Hermione sighed and didn't say anything further on the matter, while Ron, Dean and Seamus began searching the rest of the Gryffindor table for another brute to recruit to the team.

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As Hermione was climbing the endless spiral staircase which led up to the Owlery, she heard distant footsteps far below her. Night had fallen, so the corridors and staircases were lit only with dim torches, and after hours were soon approaching. The footfalls below her sounded heavy, made by someone much larger than her. She smiled mischievously as she tread lightly up the last few stairs and hid inside the Owlery. After a minute or two she watched from her hiding place as Draco entered the Owlery. He walked in and immediately appeared to assume that he'd gotten there first, and proceeded to walk over to the nearest window and lean out of it, overlooking the grounds. Hermione grinned as she tip toed over to him, and shouted BOO! as she grabbed his robes from behind. Draco's knee-jerk reaction was to jump, spin around wildly grabbing her by the scruff of her own robes, and drawing his wand on her. His eyes flashed with alarm, then anger, then relief when he realised who it was that had grabbed him. Hermione gasped when he'd grabbed her robes and clutched his arm to stop herself from falling off balance.

"Someone's a little on edge," Hermione said in amusement, as his hold on her robes slackened.

"I should've known you'd sneak up here first just to do that," Draco said, half annoyed and half proud. "I've trained you well in the arts of deception."

"I didn't get here first just for that, I got here first because I'm faster than you," said Hermione playfully.

"Faster than me, huh? Well, I'm stronger than you," Draco responded as he gently pushed her up against the wall beside them. Hermione smiled as he did so, deciding to play along with his game, and when she attempted to draw her wand, he was one step ahead with a quick 'Expelliarmus!'. As her wand flew from her hand, they both laughed and then suddenly stopped laughing as they watched in horror as her wand flew out the window rather than into Draco's hands.

"Draco!" Hermione hissed.

"Sorry, sorry, fuck, you know I'm not good with that spell," Draco groaned, glancing out the window. Her wand was lost in the darkness.

"At the end of the incantation you need to flick your own wand toward yourself, otherwise your opponents wand can go anywhere," Hermione said angrily, and as Draco burst out laughing she found herself even more annoyed.

"Some git just made your wand fly out of the highest tower in Hogwarts, and you're trying to teach him how to improve his spell-casting?" said Draco, still laughing. Hermione reluctantly smiled again as he said this.

"You know what? You're right. I don't like gits who make my wand fly away," said Hermione, as she tried quickly shoving him and reaching for his wand. Draco held her against the wall and out of arms reach however, until he'd pocketed his wand and used his other hand to pin her arms above her head. When the playful scuffle ended, they were both left breathing heavily.

"And what will the almighty Head Girl do now?" asked Draco with a smile.

"Nothing, you won't hurt me... and you're not allowed to snog me either," said Hermione innocently. Draco moved his lips closer to hers, as if to prove her wrong, but he stopped just before they touched. Hermione found her lips tingling with anticipation as she felt his misty breath combine with her own. Next, she felt his left hand which had been holding her by the collar of her robes let go, and gently slide down her body, resting on the curve of her waist. The entire point of them being in the Owlery was so that she could send letters to her parents asking for her Transfiguration and Potions notes, yet this seemed to have been totally forgotten by both of them.

"No, I'm not allowed to snog you," Draco groaned, abiding by her rules albeit reluctantly. His hand moved under her robes this time, resting on the blouse she wore underneath.

"You... you seem to be moving past snogging," Hermione said breathlessly. She realised that he was barely holding her arms above her head, yet she still hadn't made any attempt to move.

"Do you want me to stop?" Draco asked, with a wicked smile as he already knew the answer. She bit her lip and shook her head, so he continued. He let go of her arms and roughly pulled on her blouse, untucking it from her skirt, so that he could feel her flesh underneath. He heard her sharp intake of breath and felt her body quiver at his touch, and continued to roam her body sensually. He knew that while snogging was off limits, Hermione hadn't specified anything else, and he was curious to see how far the Head Girl was willing to go. His left hand rose to cup her breast, eliciting another excited intake of breath, whilst his other hand lowered to her thigh. He felt himself grow hard as he watched the innocent Hermione Granger's cheeks blush pink at his touch. Before even he could react, Hermione had wrapped her arms around him and started to kiss him.

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"You started it, not me!" Draco chuckled, beside himself with glee as they left the Owlery. After unexpectedly making out for an unknown period of time, the pair had returned to their senses and sent Hermione's letter to her parents.

"I started the snogging, but you started the... the... other stuff!" Hermione said defensively, still blushing as she reassembled her robes and hair.

"And you responded rather passionately, if I do recall," Draco murmured seductively, causing her to reluctantly smile and smack him.

"Whatever, you need to find my wand!" Hermione said accusingly.

"We need to find your wand-"

"You lost it, you have to find it for me-"

"Well you did just snog me without my permission you know, I feel rather violated, I don't feel safe with you on the grounds after hours..." said Draco mockingly, knowing that it would annoy the girl walking beside him.

"You're unbelievable. What will you do if my wand is broken, hmm? You know I need a wand for class," said Hermione, moving to stand in his way.

"You still want more, huh?" Draco joked, and she giggled as she pushed him against the corridor wall.

"Yeah, I also want your wand until I have mine back too," Hermione demanded as she held him against the wall by his shoulders. Draco withdrew his wand with a curious smile, as he wondered what she would do with it. He held it up and Hermione snatched it from his grip.

"So mister Malfoy. What are you going to do to make all of this up to me? What will you do to deserve my Potions notes?" asked Hermione in a would-be stern voice, as she pointed his wand at him.

"I'll find your wand, and if it's broken, I'll buy you a new one, I'll buy you the best wand in Diagon Alley," Draco replied, causing her to smile.

"You can't leave Hogwarts, you can't even get to Diagon Alley till the holidays, and your mother wouldn't give you money for a girl like me," Hermione chastised him, a wicked twinkle in her eyes.

"I'll find a way out of Hogwarts without the professors knowing, and forget about my mother. I'd do whatever it took to make enough money to buy you a new wand," said Draco, being serious rather than joking as he said this.

"Really?"

"Of course. I might've just broken the Head Girl's wand, I wouldn't want to get into trouble," began Draco with a chuckle as she jabbed him with his wand.

"I can't always tell if you're being serious," Hermione mused, watching him closely.

"I'm being serious. The timid bookworm I used to make fun of is now the hot Head Girl that just snogged me and is holding me at wand-point in the middle of the night, breaking several school rules," Draco murmured, as he pulled her closer to him. Hermione laughed as she leaned against him, forgetting about the wand.

"I'm technically not breaking any rules, Head Girl's are allowed to patrol the corridors after hours," Hermione said smugly.

"Oh, is this what you call patrolling the corridors?" Draco inquired.

"Uh huh, I think you'll find that you're the one breaking school rules, I could put you in detention for not being in your sleeping quarters..." said Hermione, pretending to consider doing just that. Draco laughed as he leaned forward, kissing her on the lips. Despite being in almost complete darkness with only one dimly lit torch further down the corridor, and despite the risk of being caught and punished or caught and having the whole school discover their relationship, they continued kissing, until Draco reluctantly pulled away.

"How are we going to make this work?" asked Draco suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Hermione responded, breathlessly.

"Our Houses, friends and families hating each other. I need to know because... I like you too much for all of that," Draco admitted, kissing her neck gently.

"We'll deal with them later, when we... have to," Hermione said, sighing in response. "For tonight, lets just focus on finding my wand."

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


	46. Chapter 46

Once Draco and Hermione had arrived outside in the Hogwarts grounds, they were engulfed in darkness. The enormous castle behind them was illuminated here and there with dim torches, and certain windows were brightly lit. It would have been strange for an onlooker to see the Head of Gryffindor and the Head of Slytherin holding hands as they walked out into the grass in search of something. Luckily, it was far too late for other students to be out and about. There could be the odd prefect patrolling corridors inside, yet even they wouldn't be looking out at the grounds. Without her wand, in the dark and with her hand in Draco's, Hermione found herself feeling oddly safe and content with him.

"Once we get over there, illuminate your wand," said Hermione. "We should be right under the Owlery."

Draco smirked as Hermione's trademark bossiness showed through. He remembered how much it frustrated him when they were on the run months ago. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.

"Oh god, what are you laughing at now?" Hermione whispered, though she was smiling too. "And keep it down!"

"Just the way that Blaise was mocking you for your bossiness in Potions," said Draco with another chuckle. "I could tell you were getting so frustrated."

"I don't know how you're friends with him. You shouldn't laugh at him mocking me!" said Hermione, smacking him on the arm.

"He's funny though! You have to admit that," said Draco defensively.

"He is funny. The difference is, you like me and he hates me," said Hermione, sounding upset about it.

"He doesn't hate you. He just sees you as a Gryffindor, an outsider," Draco explained delicately.

"And a mudblood," Hermione murmured as she watched him. He didn't immediately respond, and she noticed he had a pained, or perhaps even guilty expression at hearing this.

"And that. But his views don't change mine," was Draco's diplomatic response, as he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. Hermione seemed pleased at this, and they continued to walk in silent searching after Draco had illuminated his wand. After several minutes of looking, Draco gave up and Accio'd into the darkness. After a few attempts in different directions, a wand covered in dirt flew into his right hand from the long grass nearby.

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To say that the Quidditch try outs that friday afternoon were a success would be an understatement. It appeared to have spread like wildfire that the Slytherin Quidditch team would be seeking revenge on Harry for what happened to Pansy Parkinson. As a result of this, practically all of Harry's fans had come along to the try outs, and they had more people trying out than any year before. Harry's unprecedented fame after the defeat of Voldemort and his return as Gryffindor's Captain one last year also helped with the turnout. The first position they allowed try outs for was the position of chaser, specifically, Demelza's position. While it was very close, Delemza had been replaced by a blonde sixth year girl named Erica Turnbolt.

"She was feisty," said Ron, impressed after they'd announced that she would be the new chaser alongside Ginny and Dean Thomas. Erica had landed almost every shot she made with the quaffle, and even prevented some other flyers from shooting by smashing them with the bristled end of her own broom.

"Maybe you should ask her out?" Harry suggested in amusement.

"I mean, we need more feisty on the team that's all," said Ron as his ears went pink.

"I'm sure. Alright, let's see who our new beaters are going to be," said Harry as he walked down in front of the stand where the majority of the crowd was, and called for anyone who wanted to try out for the beater position.

"Jason's an obvious pick," said Ron matter-of-factly.

"How do you know that? You haven't even seen him fly yet," said Harry with raised eyebrows.

"He wants to smash some Slytherin's, that's the attitude our beaters need."

"Our beaters need to be focused on winning, not just smashing people," Harry corrected him. The small group that gathered around them was made up of mostly fourth to seventh year guys. Some were small, some were big, and a few were huge, such as Jason Boom. They all had a broom at the ready, although many of the brooms they had were old, dusty and borrowed from the broom shed.

"Your drills will be simple. Try to hit the posts or hit the bludgers through the hoops as many times as you can. We'll be watching for accuracy and power in your shots, and your ability to dodge stray bludgers," said Harry loudly, as Ron began unclasping the bludgers from the Quidditch chest. "Mount up!"

In became clear very quickly that Jason would in fact be an obvious pick, as every time he hit a bludger, it moved with blinding speed and slammed into one of the goal posts almost without fail. Many of his shots made the colossal white goal posts visibly quiver. Other flyers rarely managed to actually hit the goal posts, and were instead hitting the bludgers through the hoops. While that was good enough for chasers using quaffles, for a beater to successfully hit another player with the bludger, it required far greater accuracy. There was another flyer who had the unusual talent of being able to repeatedly hit a bludger and chase after it, before hitting it again. This enabled him to 'dribble' the bludger close enough to the goal posts to deliver a devastating close range hit. He was younger and smaller than the others, but much faster and more skilled at hitting a bludger.

"Who's that younger one with the sandy hair? I've never seen anyone keep control of a bludger like that," said Harry, turning to Ginny.

"That's Alex Felaro. He actually plays Quidditch outside of Hogwarts, he's really good but his parents don't want him playing while he's at school. I think he only tried out to meet you," Ginny admitted with a smile.

"Screw his parents, with talent like that we need him on the team," said Ron bluntly. Harry found himself reluctantly agreeing as he watched the drills take place.

Just as Harry was considering calling the players back down, having decided on the two beaters that would be joining the team, the Slytherin team started walking onto the pitch. Harry noticed that several of the guys who had threatened Jason were amongst the players, and the moment they saw Jason doing drills up in the air, the taunting began. Harry, Ron and Ginny began walking over towards the Slytherin's furiously as they listened to the taunts being thrown towards Jason. Draco was leading the Slytherin's onto the pitch, but he remained silent apart from his trademark smirk at seeing Harry angrily approaching him.

"We're doing try outs, Malfoy. We've got the pitch booked for the whole night," Harry called as he got closer.

"Yes well, I had a chat with Professor Snape and he didn't think you needed the whole night for try outs, so you have until seven o'clock to finish up and we're going to start training," Draco responded with mock friendliness. "Oh, what do you know? It's seven o'clock!"

"Fuck off Malfoy, you try to pull this shit every year. Snape doesn't have the authority to do that," Ron snapped.

"McGonagall does, and luckily for us, she and Snape are on good terms at the moment. I'm not joking, you can go and ask them," said Draco with a shrug. He proceeded to chuckle as the rest of his team began the chant of, "Jason Boom is a bitch!"

"Jason's going to be one of our beaters, so I suggest you tell your team to be quiet," said Harry coldly.

"I will after you lot vacate the pitch. Rules are rules," Draco drawled in response, as he began to mount his broom. Out of nowhere, a bludger suddenly came pelting down at them all and smashed a Slytherin chaser directly in the chest, throwing him off his feet and slamming him into the ground from the sheer force. Two Slytherin's leapt onto the bludger to stop it from hitting anyone else, as other players knelt beside the beater, who was gasping and clutching his chest in pain. Above them Jason was sitting on his broom, laughing loudly as he yelled back, "Slytherin's are all bitches!" Harry swore at how stupid Jason was and how terribly the situation was now going to escalate. Ron looked as though he didn't know whether to laugh or draw his wand.

"A star player you've picked, Potter," Draco said furiously as he kicked off the ground. "Tell him to get off the pitch or I'll have Crabbe and Goyle beat him to a fucking pulp right here, in front of everyone."

"Boom! If you want to be on the team, go to the Gryffindor tower and stay there!" Harry bellowed angrily. He watched as Crabbe and Goyle mounted their brooms, bats in hand, ready to fly after the Gryffindor if Draco gave the word.

"McGonagall's going to hear about this, and I guarantee you that asshole won't be on your team," said Draco from the air above them. The other Slytherin's mounted up, except for two who agreed to help the wounded Slytherin to the Hospital Wing.

"Perhaps if you hadn't strutted out here chanting that he's a bitch, he wouldn't have done that," Harry snapped back, though he was grateful that Draco hadn't told Crabbe and Goyle to go after Jason. He knew what Jason did was reckless and uncalled for, yet he felt the need to instinctively defend the fellow Gryffindor. Up above, he watched as Jason flew towards the stands where the rest of the Gryffindor's were cheering him on. Ginny ran over and helped pack the Gryffindor teams gear up, as the Slytherin's took to the air and the Gryffindor's left the pitch. Harry decided that it would be best for him and Ron to reach McGonagall and explain the situation first. They overtook the wounded Slytherin as he headed to the Hospital Wing, his arms around two other Slytherin's shoulders.

"We need to convince her to let him on the team, Harry. You saw how he hit that bludger, it was dead accurate and he hit it from the bloody goal posts!" said Ron in awe.

"I saw him hit a bludger at another student who wasn't even mounted on a broom, not even in a Quidditch match. He's an idiot. If that Slytherin is badly injured, it wouldn't surprise me if Snape convinces her to expel him," said Harry, his frustration obvious. Before the Slytherin's had come along, he was convinced that he'd finally put together a team of genuinely talented players. Jason and Alex would have been the best beaters since Fred and George, and great counters to Crabbe and Goyle. Jason had single-handedly ruined everything, in Harry's eyes. Yet he was still a great beater and regardless of his flaws, Harry wanted to win the Quidditch Cup in his final year at Hogwarts more than anything.

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Needless to say, McGonagall was furious. She did however share their sentiment, in the fact that they'd put together a strong team.

"I understand your point, Mr Weasley. Hitting another player on the ground with a bludger from the goal posts, is a display of exceptional accuracy and skill. It's also a display of exceptional stupidity, violence and rule-breaking that cannot be tolerated," said McGonagall. Ron's ears went pink as Harry silently admired their Headmistresses ability to understand and verbalise every angle of the situation.

"As much as I want Gryffindor to win the Cup, I have responsibilities as Headmistress to punish all rule-breaking. Dumbledore would not have allowed a student like Boom to play Quidditch after what he did. Severus will not tolerate it either."

"He won't tolerate it because he wants Slytherin to win!" Ron began desperately, causing McGonagall to give him a stern look.

"He won't tolerate it because one of his students was gravely injured. What Boom did constitutes assault, outside of Hogwarts he would be in trouble with the law. A corridor scuffle is one thing, hitting another student with a bludger outside of a Quidditch match is far more serious," said McGonagall as she rubbed her temples tiredly. Harry could tell that being Headmistress was already stressing McGonagall out; she looked almost as old as Dumbledore. While she didn't have Voldemort to deal with like Dumbledore did, she instead had assumed responsibility for the school at it's most divided point in a long time. It felt like the semester had only just started, and already the number of fights between Slytherin and the other Houses was growing.

"What if you give him an extreme punishment like a months worth of detentions with Snape, but then let him on the team?" Ron tried again. Before McGonagall could respond, the door to her office was slammed open. As if on cue, in came Severus Snape with a deathly glare.

"Three broken ribs, Minerva. This was aggravated assault. Tell me we aren't tolerating this in a school," is all that he said. He forced his voice to remain calm, but it was obvious that he was beyond furious. Harry had rarely seen Snape this angry, and he was usually only this angry over something that Harry had done, such as poisoning Parkinson.

"We aren't. I've just informed these two that Mr Boom won't be on the Gryffindor team..." McGonagall began, but Snape cut her off.

"With respect Minerva, let the foolish boy be on the team. At least then the Slytherin student he attacked can have a chance to return the favour in a setting where it's actually legal. Boom's punishment shouldn't be not playing, it should be worse than that. He should be forced to apologise publicly and be made an example of. He shouldn't just be given detentions, he should spend every hour outside of class doing labour around Hogwarts. Make him scrub the floors, help Filch, help Hagrid in the Forbidden Forest," Snape stopped momentarily to maintain his composure. He looked absolutely livid.

"If this goes without severe punishment, it will only get worse. I refuse to see a repeat of our generation."

"You won't, Severus. Thank you for your counsel, I will take everything you've said into consideration. I'm on your side in this," said McGonagall in response. Harry and Ron remained silent, mouths slightly open in surprise at the exchange. Harry was especially interested in what Snape meant by 'a repeat of our generation'. With a final nod of understanding, Snape left the office. He didn't even look at or acknowledge the Gryffindor students.

"Well, you got your wish Mr Weasley and you can thank Severus for that. Boom can be on the team, if he still wants to. He won't like his punishment however, and there will be no second chances after this. If he does something like this again, he won't just be banned from Quidditch. He'll be expelled. Do you understand?" asked McGonagall severely. Both students nodded quickly. "Good. Then go and make sure he understands. I might be Headmistress but I'm still a Gryffindor at heart, and I refuse to allow Gryffindor's image to be dragged through the dirt with violence like this."

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"They listen to you, Draco. If you suggest some sort of cooperation between Slytherin's and everyone else, maybe there will be less fights," Hermione suggested.

"My popularity is dependent upon my reputation, Hermione. If I started touting cooperation and friendliness, I'd be replaced by some sixth year who's out for blood. And they are out for blood after what Boom did. Besides, Slytherin's do whatever the hell they want to do anyway, I can't control them all," said Draco defensively.

"Maybe not, but you could at least nudge them in the right direction," said Hermione.

"You're not listening. If I suggest being nice to Gryffindor's, it'll backfire and have the opposite effect," Draco argued.

"How do you know until you try?"

"Because I just know! Boom broke three of Roger's ribs. Most of Roger's friends figure it's only fair to break three of Boom's ribs. Do you see what I'm dealing with? Can you imagine how they would react if I strutted in saying, 'hey, maybe we should be friends with the Gryffindor's instead of getting justice'?" said Draco with a mocking voice.

"I don't mean they have to be friends, I just mean you should suggest civility. The Houses don't have to like each other, they just have to stop being violent..."

"Well you know what Hermione? So far I've only seen Gryffindor's being violent," said Draco with a hint of anger. "So maybe it's you, Potter and Weasley who should be the ones talking to the Gryffindor's."

"I'm trying, and I agree that things have gotten out of hand, but it's a two-way street. Your whole Quidditch team was chanting that he was a bitch. Maybe that needs to stop as well?"

"How the hell is that comparable to breaking someone's ribs?" Draco blew up, not bothering to hide his anger anymore.

"It's not, but it provoked him," Hermione responded.

"Provocation doesn't justify violence, you of all people should know that. No offence, but you act like you have good intentions, but you're sounding a hell of a lot like Weasley by defending that asshole."

"I'm not defending him!"

"Yes you are! Why do you want me to talk to Slytherin's, when it's Gryffindor's starting shit?" Draco demanded.

"I'm telling Harry and Ron the same thing, I'm not singling you out or blaming you. And what do you mean, I 'act like' I have good intentions?" asked Hermione, sounding hurt.

"Nothing, I didn't mean anything. Look I'm done talking about this," said Draco dismissively, looking away from her in frustration.

"We need to be able to talk about it, or it'll get worse," said Hermione, shifting her weight to try and get his attention. "Draco?"

"We're not talking. You're just telling me to talk to the Slytherin's, as if it's their fault, when it isn't. That's all this is," he snapped coldly.

"That's not what I'm trying to do..."

"You keep saying that, but it is what you're trying to do," came Draco's immediate reply as he glared at her. They stood in silence for a few moments, both somewhat shocked at the turn the conversation had taken. Draco was feeling a whirlwind of emotions, mostly anger at what Boom had done and anger at how Hermione appeared to be defending it. More importantly though, he was feeling betrayed. Hermione had promised that no matter what happened between their Houses, no matter how much their friends hated each other, that they would stick together. Yet here she was, acting like Slytherin's were in the wrong and pressuring him to do something about it. He noticed that she still looked hurt, which frustrated him even more. How was this his fault? She was the one who brought all of this up in the first place, knowing that he didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, I'm sorry if it seems that way. We don't have to talk about it now," Hermione offered, as she reached out for his hand. He pulled his hand away impulsively.

"It doesn't seem that way, it is that way," Draco seethed, annoyed at how she tried to word things in her favour. He suddenly realised that he was in a terrible mood, the kind of mood where everything would just get on his nerves. Hermione looked even more upset that he'd pulled his hand away. It made him feel like he was the bad guy, and that guilt only frustrated him more. Part of him felt like blowing up and telling her exactly how he felt, that he felt betrayed with how she acted like it was a Slytherin problem, that lately she kept suggesting that he talk to the Slytherin's as though it's his responsibility how they were behaving. He knew it would only turn into a bigger argument though.

"Look I'm too pissed off to do this right now. I'll talk to you later," he said quickly as he walked away, leaving her in a stunned silence.

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Thank you for reading! If you liked this chapter, please feel free to review and add to alerts/favourites! :)

**Check out my other stories!**

Draco and Hermione - www.fanfiction.net/s/5661111/1/Draco-and-Hermione

The Soul Connection - www.fanfiction.net/s/9868543/1/The-Soul-Connection

The Time-Turner Division - www.fanfiction.net/s/12337018/1/The-Time-Turner-Division


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